How do i cook gammon so its ham?

Hi all,

How do I cook a joint of gammon so its becomes amazing ham? We tried a while ago and put the gammon in the oven and cooked it. Not good :o

Which gammon do we buy and how do we cook it?

Thanks in advance :beer:
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Comments

  • barbiedoll
    barbiedoll Posts: 5,326
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    If you buy a gammon or bacon joint then soak it in cold water for a couple of hours or overnight if you can and rinse it off a couple of times. Place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Throw the water away, cover it again with cold water and bring to the boil again. Then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for a couple of hours, topping up the water if it goes below the level of the top of the gammon. The general advice is to cook for 20mins per lb/450gms.
    Drain off, cover loosely with foil and leave to cool for at least 30 mins, longer if possible, before carving. I usually cook mine the night before and then I carve it up and warm up the slices in the oven on a heatproof plate covered with foil so that it doesn't dry out. I don't eat meat but everyone loves my gammon at Christmas. Good luck!
    "I may be many things but not being indiscreet isn't one of them"
  • MrsW82
    MrsW82 Posts: 97 Forumite
    I tend to do it slightly differently (and have cooked this for New Year's Eve last year - and got nothing but compliments and emptied plates!)

    My OH also loves it either hot with egg and chips - or cold the next day on bread as a sandwich.

    Take one gammon joint, and about 24 hours before you want to eat it, pop it into a saucepan, cover with cold water. Leave it a few hours, (somewhere cold - obviously!) then rinse, and replace the water. Repeat - as many times as you remember to! I usually do this overnight.
    The next day - usually early afternoon, pour away the water, and replace with a carton of apple juice (or water - or a mix of the two) until the joint is covered. Bring to the boil, and leave to simmer - usually for a few hours.
    Preheat the oven - to a medium temp, and pop the joint into a roasting dish - add butter (Yes, I didn't say it was something you could have very often - it's a treat!) mixed with honey and wholegrain mustard (about equal measures honey to mustard, with about a third butter). Cover with foil, and pop into the oven. Baste with honey mustard mixture. Roast until it browns - you may need to lift the foil.
    Sorry that was a bit long - and a bit vague - but I never follow recipes! It's just how I cook!
    ;)
    Yum!
  • meritaten
    meritaten Posts: 24,158 Forumite
    I do exactly the same as barbiedoll! except that on high days and holidays, once the joint is cooked, I take it out of the water and remove the tough outer skin, score the tender fat into small diamond shapes and put in a roasting tin, then cover with honey and some brown or demarara sugar and put into a hot oven for ten to fifteen minutes. NO-ONE ever cuts the fat layer off and leaves it!!!!!!!!!! its tooo delicious.
  • Mme.Hibou
    Mme.Hibou Posts: 1,667
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    I know everyone is telling how wonderful their own recipe is, but you only have to Google 'Nigella's Ham in Cola' and there are plenty of people singing its praises.

    I've made it about a dozen times and it's loved by everyone.

    http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/ham-in-coca-cola-2473

    Ingredients


    • 2kg mild-cure gammon
    • 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
    • 2-litre bottle of Coca-Cola
    FOR THE GLAZE
    • handful of cloves
    • 1 heaped tablespoon black treacle
    • 2 teaspoons English mustard powder
    • 2 tablespoons demerara sugar

    Method

    1. I find now that mild-cure gammon doesn't need soaking, but if you know that you're dealing with a salty piece, then put it in a pan covered with cold water, bring to the boil, then tip into a colander in the sink and start from here; otherwise, put the gammon in a pan, skin-side down if it fits like that, add the onion, then pour over the Coke.
    2. Bring to the boil, reduce to a good simmer, put the lid on, though not tightly, and cook for just under 2 and a half hours. If your joint is larger or smaller, work out timing by reckoning on an hour per kilo, remembering that it's going to get a quick blast in the oven later. But do take into account that if the gammon's been in the fridge right up to the moment you cook it, you will have to give it a good 15 minutes or so extra so that the interior is properly cooked.
    3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240ºC/gas mark 9. When the ham's had its time (and ham it is, now it's cooked, though it's true Americans call it ham from its uncooked state) take it out of the pan (but do NOT throw away the cooking liquid) and let cool a little for ease of handling. (Indeed, you can let it cool completely then finish off the cooking at some later stage if you want). Then remove the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat.
    4. Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove.
    5. Then carefully spread the treacle over the bark-budded skin, taking care not to dislodge the cloves.
    6. Gently pat the mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Cook in a foil-lined roasting tin for approximately 10 minutes or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly. Should you want to do the braising stage in advance and then let the ham cool, clove and glaze it and give it 30-40 minutes, from room temperature, at 180ºC/gas mark 4, turning up the heat towards the end if you think it needs it.
    Serves: 8
    ,___,
    (oVo)
    /)vvv)
    /m m
  • clairehi
    clairehi Posts: 1,352 Forumite
    Another vote for the Nigella ham in coke recipe. sounds vile, but works really well!
  • juno
    juno Posts: 6,553
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    If you're feeling adventurous, cherry cola is even better!

    I also don't do the glaze; I just put it in my slow cooker until I feel it's done.
    Murphy's No More Pies Club #209

    Total debt [STRIKE]£4578.27[/STRIKE] £0.00 :j
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  • juno wrote: »
    If you're feeling adventurous, cherry cola is even better!

    I also don't do the glaze; I just put it in my slow cooker until I feel it's done.

    me too! :j :beer:
  • juno wrote: »
    If you're feeling adventurous, cherry cola is even better!

    I also don't do the glaze; I just put it in my slow cooker until I feel it's done.

    Sorry to gatecrash thread but how long do you put it in the slow cooker for? And also, would you do this on a low heat? I'm thinking of doing this as part of my Christmas dinner.

    Many thanks
  • i'd bve interested to know how long in the slow cooker too
    loves to knit and crochet for others
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