Gammon joint - is it cooked?

Five_Alive

Hopefully you guys know a little bit more about slow cookers than I do! I've cooked a 1.2kg gammon joint in my MR 6.5L slow cooker for a little over 9 hours. Thinking it was ready I took it out and start shredding through the meat with a fork, then I noticed that it's not the usual cooked pork colour. Parts of it are white, but quite a bit is pink and I've heard it's quite dangerous to eat pink pork. Not sure if this is different because it's gammon.

I did the knife test and when I took it out I burnt my hand on it so I'm fairly sure it was really hot in the centre, but it was still pink.

Help! I don't want to die but it looks so tasty. I've tried to attach a couple of pictures but the forum won't let me. Thanks in advance

jaytin

Gammon is always pink, it won't change colour. After 9 hours in the slow cooker it should be well cooked, if it's very hot in the centre it should be fine. The middle part is probably just juicier than the outside which will be drier. Enjoy your gammon!

Five_Alive

Thanks! That's such a relief

maman

Five_Alive wrote: »

Thanks! That's such a relief

If you think of it as bacon rather than pork, it's meant to be a pink colour, like boiled ham (which is exactly what it is).


Obviously you chose to shred it, but when cooled it slices really well. It's much cheaper and tastier than buying cooked ham.


if you haven't thrown it away, the stock from cooking it makes delicious lentil soup.


You might find this useful for more info on using your SC.


http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blcrocktips.htm

Five_Alive

Shucks I threw away the stock. It didn't look very appetising though, had all sorts of leftover fat in it!

maman

Five_Alive wrote: »

Shucks I threw away the stock. It didn't look very appetising though, had all sorts of leftover fat in it!

What I do is cook the gammon in the traditional way (water, a couple of carrots, an onion, couple of bay leaves and a few peppercorns). This isn't essential water on it's own will do but gives a nice, herby flavour.


Some people cook their gammon in apple juice or coke or Fanta but I've never tried as I like to make soup.


If you cool the stock down (I just leave mine overnight in an unheated conservatory) all the fat floats to the top and you can skim it off.