Slow Cooked Ham
Slow Cooked Ham
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Servings
6
Prep Time
5 minutes
I was recently stuck for sandwich fillings and had to buy supermarket packet ham. I paid €6 for 4 small slices, the texture and flavour left me without much of an appetite for my ham sandwich. The next day I went straight to my butcher and got a shoulder of ham for €12 and we had bacon and cabbage for dinner and days of leftovers for sandwiches. I won’t get caught out again with shop bought, I would rather go without.
Home-cooked ham offers a superior experience to shop bought packets which often contain preservatives, excess salt, or artificial flavouring. Home cooked is unmatched in freshness and flavour. The rich, authentic flavour of homemade ham comes from using vegetables and fresh herbs that enhance the natural taste of the meat. The texture of a home-cooked ham is so much better as it retains its juiciness, offering a tender and flavourful bite every time. I like to slow cook a ham on Sunday and use the meat for lunchbox sandwiches, in a mid-week quiche, vol-au-vents and add to pasta dishes.
There is no waste, a constant supply of refrigerated meat for hungry bellies and the cost savings of making your own ham goes without saying. Once you start to slow cook your own, this is the only way you will have ham.
Ingredients
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3 lbs ham shoulder, loin or fillet unsmoked
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1 orange cut in half
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1 onion cut in half skin on
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3-4 whole peppercorns
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2-3 whole cloves
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1 bay leaf
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3 tbsp brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1
If you can soak your ham overnight, it is preferable to do so. If you do not have the time to soak it overnight you can do so for an hour before cooking to remove any excess salt.
Rinse the ham well and put into an oven proof pot and cover with water, add all ingredients and bring to the boil.
Cover with a lid or some tin foil and place in oven for 4-5 hours.
If using a slow cooker, place all ingredients in a slow cooker with a 700ml of water and cook for 4-5 hours on low.
The longer you slow cook, the more tender your meat is and the more intense the flavours will be.
Once the ham is cooked, remove and place on a wire rack allowing all juices and water to drain off. Cut away any fat with a sharp knife.
For any leftovers, refrigerate and slice as you need it. This will keep for 3 days refrigerated.
Recipe Note
Tip:
Always buy your ham a little bigger as it will shrink while cooking. I suggest for a family of four to get a 2lb ham shoulder or fillet, unsmoked. I refrigerate once cooked and cooled and it slices much easier the next day and won’t fall apart as it would when freshly cooked and hot. A good sharp knife is also an essential tool for carving meat at home.
