Follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for baking up this delicious Pork Ham Shank, complete with Brown Sugar Glaze. Great as a main dish, great for making sandwiches. Either way you use it, your family will absolutely love it. Printable recipe included.
Baked Ham Shank with Brown Sugar Glaze recipe.
Ham Shanks are one of those cuts of pork that show up most often around holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Still, you can usually find them in the meat counter of your favorite grocer all year around.
Typically, Ham Shanks are one of the cheaper cuts of pork, and make a great family meal that’s quick and easy to prepare.
Bake this for the family, slice it up and serve it with some of your favorite side dish vegetables for a complete weeknight meal, or even Sunday dinner. Then, and this is my favorite way to enjoy it, use any leftovers for making sandwiches. Either way, you’re going to love it.
I’m using a Pork Ham Shank that is labeled “Fully Cooked.” It’s also been smoked for added flavor. Be sure to check the label of what you are purchasing, or have already purchased, to see what you have. You may have one that is totally uncooked, or “fresh.” Or, you may have one labeled “Ready-to-eat,” or “Heat and Serve.”
If you’re using a fresh ham shank, it will require a longer cooking time than what is listed here, but other than that, the process will be pretty much the same. Just follow any directions on the label regarding the needed cooking time, and work it together with this recipe and you’ll be good to go.
You can learn more about Hams and Food Safety regarding hams by following this link to the page on the United States Department of Agriculture website.
The page listed above will give you much more information than I can give you here.
So, if you’re ready to give our Pork Shank Recipe a try, then let’s get in the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking.
Baked Ham Shank with Brown Sugar Glaze: You’ll only need these ingredients.
As mentioned above, this Ham Shank is listed as “Fully Cooked.” Yours may be different, so be sure to check the label and follow the baking details on the label.
This one weighed 8.51 pounds. You’ll also need to know the weight so you can adjust the cooking time needed for your ham shank accordingly.
As a note, I didn’t block out the Use/Freeze By date above, it just peeled off when I removed the price tag the grocery store had applied. And, just in case you’re wondering, I paid $1.79 a pound.
Remove the outer wrapper and any other packaging materials.
Place the Ham Shank in a roasting pan.
Your shank may even look a bit different than this one. This particular shank has the “hock” portion removed. Part of the shank you purchase/purchased, may have more of a point to it than this one, just depends on how it’s cut. Just saying.
Place the bigger end DOWN in the roasting pan, then give it a good coat of Mustard.
Spread a thin coat of mustard all over the shank portion, flipping it over to coat all sides.
The mustard is just going to help hold the brown sugar on the meat. It doesn’t really add a noticeable mustard taste, so don’t be afraid to use it if you don’t like mustard.
Add the Brown Sugar.
Coat the shank well with the Brown Sugar. It will start to dissolve, but cover the shank as best as you can on all sides.
Place the shank in the pan with the larger flat side DOWN.
Cover the whole thing lightly with aluminum foil. Just tuck it in around the tops of your pan, it doesn’t need to be sealed tightly.
Bake at 325F Degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145F Degrees.
This is figured at 15-20 minutes per pound.
Check the temperature of your ham shank, being sure to not touch the bone with your thermometer.
I’ve always suggested that you purchase and use a good digital type thermometer. It’s one of the most important tools you can have in your kitchen, and you can find them in all types of price ranges. They’ll give you a quick an accurate reading of the meats you’re cooking so you don’t have to worry about over cooking and drying out the meat.
The shank has already reached 149F degrees, but I want to cook it up to 165F degrees.
The USDA says the minimum temperature for a bone-in-pork-shank to be cooked is at 145F degrees.
We’re going to baste the shank with it’s juices, then place it back in the oven to brown a bit, so it will cook a bit more in that process.
Use a spoon to scoop up juices from the bottom of the pan and baste the shank all over.
Leave the shank UNCOVERED, and place it back in the oven to slightly brown.
With the shank uncovered, place it back in the oven for about 10 to 15 more minutes so it can slightly brown.
Remove the cooked shank from the oven and lightly cover it with aluminum foil.
Let the meat REST for 10 -15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Slice the shank prior to serving.
This picture is making my mouth water. See how moist it is?
I find it hard to wait for “leftovers.” This is my favorite way to enjoy this baked ham shank.
Place a layer of pork on some white bread, slather with Duke’s Mayonnaise, and chow down.
Enjoy!
Serve some warm slices of this Ham Shank with your favorite sides.
Be sure to save the bone from your Pork Shank. It’s great for seasoning and in our Ham Bone Beans recipe that you’ll find here on Taste of Southern.
