Low Carb Pulled Ham (Fully Cooked Deli Ham)
Pulled Fully Cooked Deli Ham is a Dutch oven method designed to keep holiday ham moist and shred-tender instead of dry and slice-bound. Using a fully cooked deli ham cooked low and covered with a small amount of liquid, this technique produces pullable strands ideal for holiday meals, leftovers, and reheating without dryness. Especially useful for Sweet Slice–style deli hams commonly purchased during seasonal sales.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb fully cooked deli ham
- 2 cups apple or pineapple juice or broth
Instructions
- Cut ham into 2–3 large chunks if needed to fit comfortably in a Dutch oven.
- Place ham in a 6 qt Dutch oven and add liquid.
- Cover tightly with lid.
- Cook in a 275°F oven for 3½–4½ hours, until ham shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove from oven and rest covered 15 minutes.
- Pull ham while hot and moisten with pan juices as needed.
Notes
This method produces moist, shred-friendly ham, not pork-shoulder BBQ pull.
Fork-tender texture is the doneness test; internal temperature is secondary.
Cooking fully covered is the key change that prevents dryness.
Some fully cooked deli hams, including Boar’s Head Brown Sugar & Spice, are sold with a packaged glaze. Do not apply the glaze before or during cooking, and do not add it to the Dutch oven. The high sugar content causes surface drying and sticky burn-on during long, covered heating, which is the main reason reheated ham turns dry. Cook the ham plain and fully covered, pull it while hot, and moisten with pan juices first. If using the glaze at all, warm a small amount with pan juices and drizzle lightly after pulling or serve on the side.
Nutrition Summary (per serving)
Carbs 0.3g
Calories 417kcal
Fat 29g
Sugar 0.3g
Protein 37g