When you are going to cook a ..?!
gammon joint is it 100% necessary that u soak it in water for 24 hours before!?!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Preparing and Cooking A Gammon or Ham Joint:
I have 3 Gammon types for you to choose from:
1) Whole Gammon that's basically a whole leg or Shoulder joint on the Bone (my favourite)
2) Boned joints for easy carving of the cooked joint get your butcher to remove the bone
2) Half joints pre-prepared from the supermarket
Please adapt your cooking method for the outcome you require e!.g!. Hot Cooked Ham: Baked Ham/Gammon: Cold Coated Ham!. If its a green joint (uncured) then soak it overnight in cold fresh water fully submerged, making sure the soaking container is leak-proof and scrupulously clean!. Some Chef's tell you that the new curing methods of today do away with the need for soaking a gammon joint!. However in my humble opinion the soaking process is still valid to remove any excess salt granulation, to help further tenderise the joint and it also reduces the cooking time needed!. Remember to cover the soaking joint with a lid to deter flies or insects!.
Next day: discard the water and carefully rinse the joint, score it with a very sharp knife going in to the joint evenly (cuts should be about half a centimetre deep) criss-crossed so that it looks a bit like a chess board (without the black squares)!. Boil it completely submerged in water boiled from the kettle!. (watch out if you need to fill the kettle twice, I always get caught by the steam from the first boil as I refill at the tap)!.doh! The gammon joint will need boiling for 15 minutes for every pound in weight so if it’s a 6lb piece it will need one and a half hours!. Bring it to the boil vigourously and then skim of any residues in the water!. Make sure the joint is covered and adjust the heat so that the water is just simmering (not bubbling agressively)!.
When it has had the cooking time, drain off the water and allow it to cool!. The gammon joint skin should have shrunk somewhat and be sporting a layer of prominent fatty squares caused by the scoring and shrinkage process!. With a very sharp knife slice off just the skin layer leaving the outer fat for further attention!.
For Cold Ham: If you require the gammon as a Ham Dish you can slightly cool it then cover the skinless surface with toasted breadcrumbs and serve it cold with a salad, tomatoes Jacket potato or Lemon Cous cous!.
Crispy Coated Version:
For a sweet coated and crispy Oven finish, follow the above procedure but reduce the cooking time by one third and then:
With a tablespoon in a bowl, Mix some demerara brown sugar and honey together Thoroughly wash your hands and dry them on a clean paper towel!.
Massage the honey and sugar coating over and into the joint covering the fatty squares liberally with the mixture!.
For added flavour, get some cloves (4-6) of garlic or spice cloves if you prefer; push them gently into the joints between the scored bits!.
Place the joint on a baking tray and bake in a hot oven at 190F for 5 minutes per pound of the original weight plus fifteen minutes!. so for the 6lb joint that’s 45 minutes total baking time!. The joint is then cooked!. It can now be served hot and carefully sliced!. Alternatively carefully cool the joint and serve it sliced cold from the refrigerator!.
Carving Cooked Gammon On the Bone: At the knuckle end cut out a triangular section of cooked meat!. This will leave you the opportunity to carve along the bone alternative sides of the joint!. Hold the knife at an oblique angle and take a slice from each side alternatively either side of the bone untill all the meat is carved
The remaining bone can be boiled in stock with bay leaf, carrots and some chopped onion, strain and keep for use in a pea and Ham Soup
yes it is very neccesaryWww@FoodAQ@Com
I have 3 Gammon types for you to choose from:
1) Whole Gammon that's basically a whole leg or Shoulder joint on the Bone (my favourite)
2) Boned joints for easy carving of the cooked joint get your butcher to remove the bone
2) Half joints pre-prepared from the supermarket
Please adapt your cooking method for the outcome you require e!.g!. Hot Cooked Ham: Baked Ham/Gammon: Cold Coated Ham!. If its a green joint (uncured) then soak it overnight in cold fresh water fully submerged, making sure the soaking container is leak-proof and scrupulously clean!. Some Chef's tell you that the new curing methods of today do away with the need for soaking a gammon joint!. However in my humble opinion the soaking process is still valid to remove any excess salt granulation, to help further tenderise the joint and it also reduces the cooking time needed!. Remember to cover the soaking joint with a lid to deter flies or insects!.
Next day: discard the water and carefully rinse the joint, score it with a very sharp knife going in to the joint evenly (cuts should be about half a centimetre deep) criss-crossed so that it looks a bit like a chess board (without the black squares)!. Boil it completely submerged in water boiled from the kettle!. (watch out if you need to fill the kettle twice, I always get caught by the steam from the first boil as I refill at the tap)!.doh! The gammon joint will need boiling for 15 minutes for every pound in weight so if it’s a 6lb piece it will need one and a half hours!. Bring it to the boil vigourously and then skim of any residues in the water!. Make sure the joint is covered and adjust the heat so that the water is just simmering (not bubbling agressively)!.
When it has had the cooking time, drain off the water and allow it to cool!. The gammon joint skin should have shrunk somewhat and be sporting a layer of prominent fatty squares caused by the scoring and shrinkage process!. With a very sharp knife slice off just the skin layer leaving the outer fat for further attention!.
For Cold Ham: If you require the gammon as a Ham Dish you can slightly cool it then cover the skinless surface with toasted breadcrumbs and serve it cold with a salad, tomatoes Jacket potato or Lemon Cous cous!.
Crispy Coated Version:
For a sweet coated and crispy Oven finish, follow the above procedure but reduce the cooking time by one third and then:
With a tablespoon in a bowl, Mix some demerara brown sugar and honey together Thoroughly wash your hands and dry them on a clean paper towel!.
Massage the honey and sugar coating over and into the joint covering the fatty squares liberally with the mixture!.
For added flavour, get some cloves (4-6) of garlic or spice cloves if you prefer; push them gently into the joints between the scored bits!.
Place the joint on a baking tray and bake in a hot oven at 190F for 5 minutes per pound of the original weight plus fifteen minutes!. so for the 6lb joint that’s 45 minutes total baking time!. The joint is then cooked!. It can now be served hot and carefully sliced!. Alternatively carefully cool the joint and serve it sliced cold from the refrigerator!.
Carving Cooked Gammon On the Bone: At the knuckle end cut out a triangular section of cooked meat!. This will leave you the opportunity to carve along the bone alternative sides of the joint!. Hold the knife at an oblique angle and take a slice from each side alternatively either side of the bone untill all the meat is carved
The remaining bone can be boiled in stock with bay leaf, carrots and some chopped onion, strain and keep for use in a pea and Ham Soup
yes it is very neccesaryWww@FoodAQ@Com
Yes but not a full 24 hrs!.!. Soaking is just to get rid of the extra salt but you can boil it!. it's best to soak it for how long you can if not the full 24 hours and then boil it in a deep enough pot!. I have relatives that would soak for a few hours and then boil the ham in water and add coke cola!. Old southern way!.So it's your preference!. Soak to rid the salt or don't and have a bad cut of overly salted meat!. yuckWww@FoodAQ@Com
If its fresh, soak it overnight fully submerged in water, I would add a little salt to my water!. Next day, drain and rinse!. You can have your butcher debone it for you to make it easier to cook!.
Please note : Pork or Chicken both will give you a better presentation of your food if the meat is soaked in salt water for at least 1 hour on chicken or overnight for pieces such as fresh hams etc!.
To answer your question is yes!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Please note : Pork or Chicken both will give you a better presentation of your food if the meat is soaked in salt water for at least 1 hour on chicken or overnight for pieces such as fresh hams etc!.
To answer your question is yes!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I was looking at some recipes and it looks like you should!.
Here are some sites to look at
Happy cookingWww@FoodAQ@Com
Here are some sites to look at
Happy cookingWww@FoodAQ@Com
It is necessary to remove the salt the bacon/ham/gammon was cured in, but 24 hours is a bit OTT!. I rinse the ham in cold water to remove anything on the surface, then soak it in cold water for at least 6 hours, changing the water once, or twice if it is very salty!.
PS!. If you are boiling the meat, why not make some pea & ham soup at the same time!? Soak 125g of dried peas at the same time as the meat and put them in with the meat when you boil it!. When the meat is done, remove it, adjust the liquid to 500ml and continue to cook (and/or blend) the peas to the desired consistency!. Season with pepper only!. The above quantities make two bowls of soup!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
PS!. If you are boiling the meat, why not make some pea & ham soup at the same time!? Soak 125g of dried peas at the same time as the meat and put them in with the meat when you boil it!. When the meat is done, remove it, adjust the liquid to 500ml and continue to cook (and/or blend) the peas to the desired consistency!. Season with pepper only!. The above quantities make two bowls of soup!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Yes, as I saw on Nigella Lawson!.Www@FoodAQ@Com