How To Cook A Gammon Joint

There are three different types You can select from

 a) Gammon that is a whole leg or Shoulder joint left on the Bone

 b) Boned joints that are easy to carve (but get your butcher to remove the bone)

 c) Half joints that are very well prepared by your local supermarket

Please alter the cooking method for the outcome you want to achieve like baked Gammon joint, etc. Different Chefs can tell you the new curing ways methods stop with the need for soaking gammon joint but in my mind the soaking process is still worth it to remove any excess salt, furthermore it tenderises the joint and it also reduces the amount of time required for cooking. If you do soak then remember to cover the joint with something to stop flies getting at your meat – a very important point when finding the best ways of how to cook a gammon joint

How to Cook Gammon - Day 2

Discard the water and rinse off the joint. Now score with a sharp knife right into the Gammon evenly, the cuts should be about 5 millimeters down) cross so it looks a like a chess table and then boil it fully submerged in water from a hot kettle.

When learning how long to cook gammon you will need to boil 15 minutes for each pound the Gammon weighs, if it is a 6lb piece it will need one and a half hours. Bring it to the boil and skim of any excess water left. Make sure the joint is covered over and change the heat so that the water is just bubbling slightly, not a lot.

When time is up drain away all the water and let it cool down. If you’ve learnt how to cook a gammon joint properly the skin should have shrunk have a layer of fatty squares, this comes from the scoring you did earlier and appears as it shrinks. Using a sharp knife just cut off just the skin but leave the outer fat for more attention later.