Christmas Ham

[walshie]

Can anyone recommend a good ham or at least a cut? We had one the other year but it was kind of wet and gristly.

Is it worth buying a ham ready cooked or getting a gammon and cooking it

[Rob85]

How are you planning on cooking it? My mum usually does a boiled ham and in my 35 years I've as yet to experience anything bad about it. She would go to the butcher and tell him what she wants and how she plans to cook it and she ends up with the right thing.

My brother in law is cooking ours in the kitchen he works in then sending it down to us, but i think i might further bake it with some mustard and brown sugar 

[billytheghillie]

cook it in coca-cola its excellent.

[walshie]

4 minutes ago, Rob85 said:

How are you planning on cooking it? My mum usually does a boiled ham and in my 35 years I've as yet to experience anything bad about it. She would go to the butcher and tell him what she wants and how she plans to cook it and she ends up with the right thing.

My brother in law is cooking ours in the kitchen he works in then sending it down to us, but i think i might further bake it with some mustard and brown sugar 

If we get a gammon and cook it, we'll probably boil it then roast it. 

 

3 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

cook it in coca-cola its excellent.

I've heard that. 👍

Edited December 17, 2020 by walshie

[Dougy]

Simmer slowly, thats a secret to tenderness. I used to boil mine, change water simmer for a while then roast basting with Honey and a final roast with a brown sugar glaze and garnish with cloves. 

 

Thta was a whole Gmmon less hock and slipper. 

Edited December 17, 2020 by Dougy

[billytheghillie]

Or how about a Deluxe Jamon  Serrano Ham from Lidl,  2.2kg for  £29.99.  Had a taste of this at a friends house the other year and it was really good.

[Rob85]

6 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

Or how about a Deluxe Jamon  Serrano Ham from Lidl,  2.2kg for  £29.99.  Had a taste of this at a friends house the other year and it was really good.

Is that the one that comes on the wooden stand? Dangerously tasty stuff alongside a cheese board, crackers and various pickles 

[billytheghillie]

I think so, kept going back for more.

[Newbie to this]

49 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

cook it in coca-cola its excellent.

Yes it is,

I've also heard that orange juice is good, though I have yet to try it.

[Jim Neal]

My gammon recipe:

Put the ham in a pan which has a bit of "breathing space" around the meat but not too much.

Buy a 2L bottle of cheapo supermarket brand dry cider and pour it in until meat is covered by about 1" - top up with water if necessary

Add a spoonful of black peppercorns, one or two chopped onions depending on how big the ham/pan is and your preference, a chopped apple and a few bay leaves.

Bring to boil and simmer gently for the full allotted time if you want to serve it just boiled, or less 20 minutes if you want to glaze it.

For the glaze, mix a generous amount of honey with a decent glug of orange juice, you can also add orange zest as well - slice the zest-donor orange and use it as a garnish afterwards.  You can put a bit of chilli powder in too if that's your thing.  Maybe a few twists of cracked pepper.

My preference is to cut the rind and any excess amounts of fat off before glazing.  Give the ham a good old coating, pop it in a medium oven for a total of 20 minutes and probably add more glaze 1 or 2 times during the process.  Cover and rest.  Carve and gorge yourself

Lovely with mash and some nice steamed veg.

[ditchman]

1 hour ago, billytheghillie said:

cook it in coca-cola its excellent.

had that.............very good...and it was finished off the fat was slit and brown sugar rubbed in it ...a few cloves and hot baked for a short while

have also heard of ham being boiled in hay as well

[walshie]

Excellent ideas. Got my mouth watering...

[Saltings]

mother would soak the ham in cold water the day before changing the water two or three times before cooking to get rid of brine  then  bring to the boil then  throw the water away refill and boil again then add roughly chopped cabbage and leave to cook slowly      i dont know what the ham does to the cabbage or vice versa    but its the only time mrs will eat cabbage      in Ireland  one without the other in the same pot is just wrong    just add veg and tates 

[SpringDon]

You don’t need to soak gammon nowadays. They are nearly all brine injected And use a binder to hold the water. Recently did a gammon and cured a ham, both bought athe same weight (10lbs). After cooking, gammon was around 6lb and my cured ham cooked out to a fair bit more. The difference? I paid for 4lb of water with the gammon so definitely cure your own unless you haven’t got the time.

Anyway... cooking the ham - most of the above are ok. Never tried Coca Cola. I normally use cheap apple juice, stock vegetables, treacle, peppercorns and juniper. For Christmas hams, add allspiceand nutmeg and cinnamon.

All baked the same with a treacle, honey and mustard glaze. 

[jasper682]

21 hours ago, billytheghillie said:

cook it in coca-cola its excellent.

 

19 hours ago, ditchman said:

had that.............very good...and it was finished off the fat was slit and brown sugar rubbed in it ...a few cloves and hot baked for a short while

have also heard of ham being boiled in hay as well

Yep coke is the best. Gammon in the slow cooker. Cover in coke. The tip is full fat coke. None of this diet or zero rubbish. Leave it there all day. You can finish with a honey glaze in the oven, but not essential. Lovely. 

Jasper 

[Lloyd90]

23 hours ago, Saltings said:

mother would soak the ham in cold water the day before changing the water two or three times before cooking to get rid of brine  then  bring to the boil then  throw the water away refill and boil again then add roughly chopped cabbage and leave to cook slowly      i dont know what the ham does to the cabbage or vice versa    but its the only time mrs will eat cabbage      in Ireland  one without the other in the same pot is just wrong    just add veg and tates 

Our Irish friend does the same and that’s the way her mother taught her. 
 

Changes the water a few times. 

[walshie]

First attempt so didn't go overbaord on the ingredients.

Simmered in water with a few veg chopped up. Glazed with honey, mustard, mixed spice and brown sugar. Roasted, basted and roasted a bit more. Didn't have any cloves and they taste a bit "dentisty" to me anyway. 

Deeeeelish!

Edited December 23, 2020 by walshie

[Rob85]

1 hour ago, walshie said:

First attempt so didn't go overbaord on the ingredients.

Simmered in water with a few veg chopped up. Glazed with honey, mustard, mixed spice and brown sugar. Roasted, basted and roasted a bit more. Didn't have any cloves and they taste a bit "dentisty" to me anyway. 

Deeeeelish!

That's a risky picture.....bordering on pornographic content.

Joking aside that does look beautiful

[Ricko]

Mine has been in the slow cooker since 8am, slow cooked in ginger beer, followed by a full day of basting with honey and mustard before being roasted on the 26th.

[kennett]

Best bit of Christmas 1👌

[landyboy]

I got a piece of ham this year £12 in money soaked over night to get some salt out,  then boiled for 2 hours cut half the fat off covered in honey and brown sugar and in the oven for half /an hour at 170 degrees came out about perfect.  
might have a trip to Lidl now I’ve seen the above posts 

[Jonty]

Just walked into our kitchen to find my daughter’s cat tucking into the last third of our ham - looks like the dogs are getting a good tea tonight.  As for the cat ......