Christmas Gammon

[tod2]

With Christmas soon upon us I looked in the Port Recipe Finder for a different way to cook a gammon.
Unfortunately there wasn't anything so will do it the same way as always.

This is my method for a 'cold lunch' gammon:

Any size raw gammon with skin on.
Coca-Cola or Ginger Ale
Apricot jam or store bought gammon glaze or give me a new mix
Decorative fruit like pineapple chunks, glace` cherries etc.

In your biggest soup pot drown the gammon in coke or ginger ale - completely covered, also have more for a top-up if needed.
Boil slowly in the Coca-Cola or Ginger Ale liquid, topping up as it evaporatess, until done - don't go as far as letting the meat fall apart.
Keep the meat in the liquid until cold. This is important as it stops the meat drying out.

Whenever you feel like it, remove the skin carefully keeping the fat in tact.
Gently score the fat
Coat with whatever glaze you choose
Put under hot grill until bubbling and caramelized a bit - for heaven's sake don't take your eyes off this process!
Decorate with the fruit by sticking pieces on with little toothpicks (push stick out of sight)and give the whole thing another lick of runny glaze or apricot jam.

Carry it to the table on your best platter that has been layered with lettuce leaves or any other non-poisonous leaves - soak up the admiration! (Clean banana leaves are good).

[bixaorellana]

Wonderful recipe! Just one question: what is gammon, please?

(I'm guessing something in the ham family.)

[bjd]

Glad I'm not the only one who didn't know what gammon was. I looked on the internet -- indeed it's a cut of pork meat from the leg.

[cristina]

Count me among those who didn't know what a gammon was.

[tod2]

Gammon is pickled pork leg - almost identical to ham I would say. Mostly bought on the bone but can be found de-boned as well. In our supermarkets it also comes completely cooked and decorated -
You can also serve roast gammon hot - a favourite of the hotel carvery on a Sunday.

[mickthecactus]

Oct 26, 2010 5:23:04 GMT tod2 said:

Gammon is pickled pork leg - almost identical to ham I would say. Mostly bought on the bone but can be found de-boned as well. In our supermarkets it also comes completely cooked and decorated -
You can also serve roast gammon hot - a favourite of the hotel carvery on a Sunday.

And a favourite of the Cactus household on Sundays too.... ;D

[hwinpp]

I learned it was also a popular part of an English breakfast here. It comes thinly sliced, maybe a quarter of an inch thick, no bone.

I always thought it was smoked and boiled before frying.

[tod2]

I think you're right hwinpp - like smoked bacon you also get smoked pork(hams) - most pork ribs on sale in our supermarkets are smoked. I prefer the unsmoked.

[Don Cuevas]

What did English cooks use for Christmas gammon before Coca Cola was imported?

Cider?

[mickthecactus]

Oct 29, 2010 9:41:46 GMT Don Cuevas said:

What did English cooks use for Christmas gammon before Coca Cola was imported?

Cider?

yup but could just be water........

[bixaorellana]

This thread is illuminating is many ways. For one thing, the reference to "pickled" pork meat. You can buy something in Louisiana called "pickle meat", generally ham hocks. These are moist and salty. I'm assuming gammon is pickled in the same way, in a brine. Is that correct?

The classic Coke/pineapple combo has spanned the world! One of my grandmother's favorite ways with a nice big bone-in ham was to parboil it, then bake it with scored fat festooned with pineapple pinned on with cloves, all basted with Coca-Cola. The ginger ale version is very appealing, Tod.

[bixaorellana]

Here are two recipes (traditional and updated) for La. pickle meat. It's really corned pork.
www.nolacuisine.com/2005/10/16/pickle-meat-or-pickled-pork-recipe/

[Deleted]

I would imagine that all of these items are becoming more rare due to refrigeration and other forms of preservation. Since they are an acquired taste, I suspect that most children would not choose any of this over a Big Mac or a slice of pizza either.