Serves 6-8
The ‘blanket’ method described below gives a very good result. I have also used my slow cooker with excellent results. It takes about 5-6 hours.
Recipe Category
Products in this recipe

Vegetable Stock Powder

You will need

1.5kg uncooked, boneless gammon
2 sticks celery
1 bay leaf
1 t (5 ml) black peppercorns
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, cut into wedges
3 T (45 ml) Ina Paarman’s Vegetable Stock Powder
2 cups (500 ml) red wine or beer or gingerbeer
½ cup (120 g) soft brown sugar
5 whole cloves
water to cover

4T (60 ml) wholegrain mustard
½ cup (125 ml) soft brown sugar

Ina’s Tip

Bone in gammon actually has a slightly better flavour, but the boneless one is so painless to slice that I tend to sacrifice a little taste here, in favour of the ease of carving.

Method

Place the meat, on a saucer turned upside down (to prevent burn-on), in a heavy based pot with a snug-fitting lid. The pot must be deep enough for the lid to close tightly when the meat is in. Add all the ingredients. Cover and bring the gammon to a slow boil on top of the stove for 1¼ hours.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately wrap the saucepan first in a thick layer of newspaper and then in a thick blanket, duvet or sleeping bag. Set aside in a cardboard box or buffered by pillows for 6 hours. (If you are using 3-5 kg ham, leave it for 10 hours, or 12 hours for a 7 kg ham). Cool in the liquid.

Adjust the oven rack to one slot below middle position. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove the ham from the cooking liquid. If the skin is still on, use a small, sharp knife, to peel away the skin, leaving the fat layer behind. Slice into the fat layer to form a diamond pattern. Spread the mustard over the ham and press brown sugar into the mustard. Bake until the sugar layer turns caramel brown. Serve warm or cold.

Serve thinly sliced at room temperature. Outstanding on sandwiches the next day.