Xmas Hams

Corsendonk

Seening that we have entered the killing zone for Xmas Hams I though I would start this thread. I usually go for the plain old boiled ham on the bone but like to try a new twist this year.

So has anyone got any tips to make the ham special this year. Supermarkets or butchers? Will any Ham do or should I try a ham from a particular breed? Smoked Ham? Whats the best way to cook it? Should I glaze it?

longshanks

Try boiling it in coca cola, its damn tasty. If I can find the recipe I'll post it here

edit.... here it is

The Hill Billy

I buy mine from my local butcher. This is for two reasons:
1. I find the meat to be of better quality than the joints available in supermarkets. (He brines his own hams.)
2. I like to support small local businesses that provide a quality service.

As for cooking it - I boil mine, then remove the skin & most of the outer fat & roast it. Nothing fancy.

Dizzyblonde

Every year I buy a whole ham and get the butcher to remove the hock (which I later use for Scotch Broth). I soak it for a couple of hours to rehydrate it and then bake it for 5-6 hours. When I remove the rind I put a glaze of wholegrain mustard and honey on, then press breadcrumbs on top. It just takes 15-20 minutes back in the oven to finish off.
In my opinion nothing tastes as good as whole baked ham. After a couple of days we slice up what's left and it freezes really well.

Alun

Last year I boiled mine in a mix of half apple juice / half water, remove the rind, scored the fat and then roasted it with a marmalade glaze. Gave it a lovely sweet flavour (but not over sweet).

huskerdu

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Every year I buy a whole ham and get the butcher to remove the hock (which I later use for Scotch Broth). I soak it for a couple of hours to rehydrate it and then bake it for 5-6 hours. When I remove the rind I put a glaze of wholegrain mustard and honey on, then press breadcrumbs on top. It just takes 15-20 minutes back in the oven to finish off.
In my opinion nothing tastes as good as whole baked ham. After a couple of days we slice up what's left and it freezes really well.

Its unfair to tease people like that. Its an hour until lunch.

That sounds so good.

boodlesdoodles

I get my ham from the butcher and he has yet to let me down. In fact, last year it was so good I had to buy a 2nd one couple days after Christmas as the family devoured the first one. I soak mine overnight from early evening the day before Xmas eve and change the water a couple of times during that time. Then Xmas eve I boil it for as long as the weight of it dictates with onion, peppercorns, couple of cloves and bayleaf added to the water - no need for salt. If a lot of scum comes off during the boiling I change the water a couple of times, if its minimal then I just spoon it off. Then when cooled sufficiently I remove the skin and some of the fat, score it and put cloves in the point of each diamond on the score. Smear over a mix of English mustard, Dijon mustard and runny honey and top that with crushed Marietta biscuits - you could also use Rich tea biscuits. Throw it into the oven for a half hour or so until the coating is a nice dark golden brown. Once out of the oven you must protect from other family members in order that they don't pick it or cut into it too soon - this is the most imporant bit!! :P

brianthebard

why soak it?

lovelymama

brianthebard wrote: »

why soak it?

We soak it to remove the salt....at least that's what my granny told me. Also change the water half way through cooking too. That way the water with the white scum (which is salt she says) is thrown out and the remaining boiling time is done in salt-less water.

johnnycee66

We cook ours in a double foil parcel, above a roasting dish filled with hot water, a technique suggested by Elisabeth David. It can be found in South Wind Through the Kitchen, and its a convenient method, no kitchen steaming or boiling over. She then suggests a simple glaze of milk, mustard and brown sugar and baking for the last 40 minutes. has become one of our christmas staples

washiskin

I get a whole smoked ham from my butcher and get him to cut it in half, one of which goes in the freezer for Easter. I boil it for 20mins per pound and 20 mins over then remove the rind and score the fat into a "checkered" pattern.
Then I stud the fat with whole cloves and slather on a honey, cinnamon & hot english mustard goo which I then cover in brown sugar and roast slowly for 3/4 of an hour or so, basting it with the syrup.

I find smoked ham really versatile over Christmas - makes a fab Ham & Cheese toasty and also a cracking job of a Fried Ham and Eggs brekkie.

Dizzyblonde

brianthebard wrote: »

why soak it?

Hams tend to be low-salt nowadays so there's no need to soak them for hours on end, or at all if you're boiling them and changing the water after it boils. However, when I'm baking a ham I like to soak it for a couple of hours to rehydrate it so it won't be too dry. The curing process dries the meat out a bit (well, that's my theory ). It's never gone wrong for me in over twenty years of baking whole hams.

marvsins

Definitely going to try the ham in coke. Might even help people stay awake after christmas dinner with all the caffeine infused !!

deisemum

Ham in coke is lovely and I often do it this way and everyone loves it.

Last year I got lovely Crowe's ham, boiled it and then glazed it and finished it off in the oven.

leahyl

deisemum wrote: »

Ham in coke is lovely and I often do it this way and everyone loves it.

Last year I got lovely Crowe's ham, boiled it and then glazed it and finished it off in the oven.

What does the coke actually do? What kind of flavour does it give it?

deisemum

leahyl wrote: »

What does the coke actually do? What kind of flavour does it give it?

It's a while since I made it but now that I've seen this post I plan on doing cooking it sometime this week.

From memory it's got a smoky bbq flavour but not overpowering.

Forgot to include in my earlier post that you take off the outer layer of fat, criss cross cut the inner layer of fat and stick in some cloves, spread a tablespoon or so of black treacle and sprinkle mustard powder on top.