Cooked Ham

[Habanero Smoker]

Did you ever hear from USDA with regards to 130 or 140?

No not yet. When I've sent them emails in the past, it always takes a long time. Unfortunately I lost their automatic reply with a reference number to my original inquiry. So I may have to start all over again with another email, to see if they have changed the internal temperature. Maybe the manufacturer is factoring in the carryover, but 10 degree carryover for a 10 pound ham is not likely.

As Ted points out they still say 140°F on their site, but I remember it took them more than a year to change the information on all pages and within pages, when they changed the internal temperature of poultry from 185° to 165°F. But that page seems current since they did change the internal temperature of fresh ham to be 145°F; with an 5/24/11 update.

[Ka Honu]

Okay, guys, here's the dumb question.  Assume the butt, shank, or whole ham comes from the store already fully-cooked and labeled "Ready To Eat."  Other than how hot/cold I like to serve my ham, what difference does it make whether I then heat it to 130^o or 140^o (or 110^o or not at all for that matter)?

[viper125]

Well considering me and a lot of people I know slice and eat it straight from the package for sandwiches. I don't like my store bought hams that are cured and cooked reheated. So i usually cut one in half for sandwiches and the wife does the other have for dinner. I'm 59 and my dad is 83 and we have done it as long as i can remember. If it's been cured and smoked I know of no reason to reheat one. I don't care how great a ham you have. If they cured it and cooked it. Then you resmoke it to 140-150, then wrap and reheat it just keeps getting dryer.

[Habanero Smoker]

Okay, guys, here's the dumb question.  Assume the butt, shank, or whole ham comes from the store already fully-cooked and labeled "Ready To Eat."  Other than how hot/cold I like to serve my ham, what difference does it make whether I then heat it to 130^o or 140^o (or 110^o or not at all for that matter)?

I don't consider it a dumb question. That is the USDA safe temperature for reheating fully cooked ham. Unlike other USDA food temperatures, you usually don't see the word "recommended" when they are referring to reheating ham, so when someone asks me what should they bring the internal temperature to, I will always give them what the USDA states. After I provide that advise a person can reheat it at any temperature they want. As for reheating other foods, the USDA recommends that you reheat other fully cooked foods to  165°F.

As for myself, when it comes to cooked sliced ham I prefer the taste of it after it is reheated. I don't like cold ham unless it is diced and mixed in a salad.