Ham- i need help.....

[beanie3]

This christmas i would like to cook a bit of ham - the type you cool and slice with chutney, cheese and crackers - but.....

1 - I have no idea what type of ham i need

2 - no idea how to cook

Please help.  (PS I need an idiot guide - so make it nice and simple!)

Oh i have a slow cooker if that helps!!!!!!

[beanie3]

[Deb P]

You could do Nigella Lawson's famous 'Ham in Coca Cola', I use it when the gammon joints over 1kg are on special offer, and the family love it.

You just buy a gammon joint (smoked or unsmoked, doesn't matter), pour over a 2 litre bottle of non diet cola (any brand works well), add a couple of onions cut into quarters, a  few unpeeled garlic cloves and bring to the boil in a large pan. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about 2 hours (depending on the size of your joint). At the end allow to cool in the liquor, then either serve hot with colcannon, or cold with chutney. I know it sounds odd, but it really adds a flavour to the meat and is dead easy to do! Nigella uses the liquor to make a crust for the ham in her recipe, but I tried it once and thought it was better without.

[asbean]

Yes, the Nigella way works well.  My son's done it a few times, and it's very tasty. Amazing, just buying coca cola to cook with !!

[tim]

Just could not wait for the Party!!

[Barnowl]

You could do Nigella Lawson's famous 'Ham in Coca Cola', I use it when the gammon joints over 1kg are on special offer, and the family love it.

I'm a traditionalist - I use cider (any type so long as it doesn't have artificial additives) :)

PS That's a good looking ham Tim - do you half simmer then half bake or just simmer?

[tim]

I'm afraid that this is Wiltshire Cured, slightly Smoked.

[Sparkly]

I have tried the coke and cider before, but my favourite is to roast wrapped in tin foil till cooked. Then, cut off all the rind and most of the fat and cover with a mild mustard-honey mixture and then press in light muscovado sugar and bake for a glaze. I actually do this midyear and then slice up for sandwiches. I have lots of little bags of sliced ham in the freezer. Beats the supermarket crap and actually ends up quite reasonable in price. I normally don't bother with a ham as people are too full up to eat it, but I think I will do one this year as we have us + 11 on boxing day.

[Sparkly]

My advice is to go to a good butchers and they will give you the right joint and instructions of how to cook.....

[tim]

Agree that there are 1001 ways - but She wanted dead simple?

Wish there were more good butchers left.

[tomatoada]

I do mine in my slow cooker.  I change the first lot of water so it tastes less salty.  There should be a recipe in your cooker instructions, if not google slow cooker recipes.  Using coca-cola is nice but does add £1 to the cost, and I did not think it was worth it.  Just my opinion.

[cambourne7]

Hi

I cook a green(unsmoked) ham every year, the only smoked ham i like is from a local butcher who makes a beer, black treakle and honey maranade YUM!!

I make sure i get one with a nice bit of marbeled fat and wash it.

Pop it into a pot and cover with liquid (1/4 cider and 3/4 cold water), add a bay leaf  and a couple of peppercorns (dont bruse either it imparts 2 much flavour into the water and can overpower simmer till just about cooked.

Take the ham out and place on a baking tray on a bed of apple qtrs (this is used to make a apple sauce later) prick the ham all over and on the fat add a little sea salt and then drizzel honey all over the ham joint. Pop this into a hot oven till the outside has changed colour (30-40 min usualy) and you end up with a suculant tasty ham ideal for searving with turkey or cold with the mashed apple from the bottom of the pan :)

When it comes to cutting the ham its always worth after the first 2 slices cutting 2 thick slices dicing the ham and then freeze for making into a carbonara :) you never use all the ham :)

You can cook the ham in just water and the liquid makes a wonderful base to then cook any greens in as it imparts the natural saltyness and it amazing ;)

Cook the ham on christmas eve and this frees up space in the oven for everything else :) Ham always tastes better when its sat a little bit.

Good Luck :)

[manicscousers]

I do a piece of gammon in the pressure cooker, with yellow mustard seeds , onions and carrots , then cook in the oven for the last half hour as we're  not keen on boiled ham.
the stock i then turn into soup  :)

[rosebud]

I cook mine in my slow cooker as already said CHANGE the first lot of water.
I put carrot, onions,bay leaf, (optional), and leave to cook for hours just forget it . Absolutely lovely when you cut it the next day, I always cook it Christmas eve.   NO SALT.

[KathrynH]

I like to roast a ham or gammon joint, covered in foil so it doesn't dry out then uncovered for the last 1/2 hour.  I've tried brushing with honey, marmalade or mustard combinations but find that by the time its sliced you don't really notice its there.

[honeybee]

I have cooked a ham for Christmas for the past 20 years or so, trying many different ways. Originally my Mum (my teacher) cooked it plain and simple and boiled it in a huge pot, I have now found after testing so many various methods that for me thats the best way.

I even have my own huge ham pan! Inherited from the lovely lady herself of course  :)

Stick a few veg in the water, and make that into soup with added red lentils, just delicious.

Nothing better than fetching a huge hot ham from the pot on Boxing day and serving it hot with some new pots and a green salad  :P

[cambourne7]

How did you get on ?

[powerspade]

Any left overs blizt in a food processer, lightly fry in a pan and add tinned tomatoes, a little pepper to taste. Serve on toasted bread,---------mmmmmmmmmmmm yum yum

[Alexihen]

I always buy a collar bacon joint, green or smoked, but I think I like green better.  I soak it overnight and throw that water away, then just simmer it until tender.  I add nothing to it and it tastes beautiful.  I don't eat it hot, but cold sliced on toast lightly spread with Coleman's Mustard.

Nearly finished the one I cooked on Christmas Eve and hoping friends will bring me another one or two joints over just before New Year - I live in Brittany and it doesn't seem possible to buy bacon joints like this here.

[hopalong]

I used a rather old Delia Smith recipe for our Boxing Day ham joint this year - boiled in water with some cider added, plus peppercorns, bay leaves and an onion studded with cloves; then smeared with mustard and soft brown sugar, with some cloves stuck in the junctions of the diamond-scored fat, and roasted with more cider in the pan.  Served with Cumberland Sauce. My wife and daughter are not usually great ham fans but agreed to indulge me on this occasion and said they loved this one.

[Barnowl]

One thing I think helps keep the ham moist, is to stop cooking the ham a bit sooner than the recipe recommends and allow it to cool down in the cooking liquid for a while.