Ham is a traditional option, and as a bonus, there's a good story behind its prominence at Christmas. But once you've appreciated that story, you've still gotta get the ham.

If you do want to buy a bone-in ham for Christmas, there are actually three types you must decide between. Read more: What These Imitation Foods Are Actually Made Of.

Be sure to include one of these 30 best Christmas ham recipes. The holiday season is stressful. Why not take a little stress off the menu side of things by preparing a Christmas ham?

Recipes, as with traditions, are a combination of things. On one hand, they’re a set of reassuring rules and routines: Do this, then do that and the outcome will be just so.

Chef Crockett’s Christmas Ham Total Time to make: 3.5 hr plus 30 minutes of resting time. Ingredients: Ham 6 to 10 lb (Preferably the shank end) Yellow Mustard 10 oz; Dark Brown Sugar 1 lb; ...

Cover the ham with tin foil and place on the center rack. Bake for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Uncover, baste the ham with half of the reserved glaze and bake for another 20 minutes.

But at Christmas, it's ham. Whether served country-style, baked or grilled, ham is the centerpiece of many Christmas tables. (READ MORE: A roasting trick for a terrific turkey) ...