THE GINGER PIG

How to cook gammon

A gammon is simply an uncooked ham, so if you are starting with a cooked ham, then skip ahead to our ham glazing guide.
 
Our guide on cooking gammon uses a ‘steam-baking’ technique which will give you a more roasted flavour than boiling and baking – it is our preferred method in the Ginger Pig kitchen.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4. Rinse the gammon under a tap – there’s no need to soak.
  2. Pour 3cm (1¼ inches) of boiling water into a roasting tin. Place the gammon on a rack in the tin, making sure the water doesn’t touch the meat. If you don’t have a rack, use scrunched-up foil to make a trivet for the meat. Loosely cover the gammon with foil but ensure the foil is airtight – you may need to use a couple of pieces, crossways to each other.
  3. Bake the gammon for 55 minutes per kilo (2lb 4oz), loosening the foil for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven.
  4. When cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin with a sharp knife – try to leave as much fat on the meat as possible and just remove the skin. You now have a cooked ham, ready for glazing.
  5. Next, read our guide on how to glaze a ham.

Ingredients

1 gammon, plain or smoked

 

Whole cloves, to stud the ham (optional)

 

Flavourless oil, for greasing
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