How Much Ham Per Person Is Just Right?

[Michie]

Consider the leftovers (and sides!).

When it comes to planning the ham for Easter dinner (or any meal where a large-format pork will be the hero), a number of questions present themselves almost immediately: Where should I buy the ham? What type of ham should I buy? Bone-in or boneless? How much ham per person?and so on. Odds are your holiday meal will be a bit smaller this year than it has been in years past, but these questions remain just as important when serving your household of three as they were when you were hosting 20. So, let’s break it down.


How Much Ham Per Person?
The best rule of thumb for ham is to plan about 1/2 pound per person when picking a bone-in ham (it’s heavier) and 1/3 pound if boneless. Look, at the end of the day, some people will eat more than expected, some will eat less—it’ll even out. If you’re making a lot of side dishes, err on the smaller side; if you texted your roommates "ham party at 3 p.m. on Sunday," consider buying more.

Continued below.
How Much Ham Per Person Is Just Right?

 

[Shane R]

As a long time worker in the meat industry our rule of thumb was to suggest 1 lb per person for bone in hams. A number of stores in my area order a bunch of extra deli hams and put them out for the people who prefer boneless.

One of the meat shops I worked in years ago noticed I had a better knack for tying than any of the other staff. The proprietor chained me to a slicer and made me slice and tie hams until my finger tips cracked open (the chain part was the only exaggeration in that).