Rolled Gammon Joints

[Patrick Bateman]

Is it just me or does every single supermarket only supply ones 'with added water'?

Think I'm going to go with gammon for Christmas but had been holding off to try and find some higher quality stuff. I'm in Scotland so always buy Scotch beef/lamb and the 'specially selected' pork but this always seems to be missing as an option when it comes to rolled gammon compared to any other cut. 'Outdoor bred' is about the best I've seen labelled and it still has added water.

Before anyone suggests buying a full leg or anything, I'm the only meat eater in the house so I'm resigned to buying smaller items for roasting.

Edited by Patrick Bateman on Tuesday 19th December 14:52

[21TonyK]

Look for dry cured. Sainsbury’s do a smoked dry cured but most are wet brined so will by their nature have added water

[Patrick Bateman]

Cheers, will keep an eye out.

[BIRMA]

Patrick Bateman said:

Is it just me or does every single supermarket only supply ones 'with added water'?

Think I'm going to go with gammon for Christmas but had been holding off to try and find some higher quality stuff. I'm in Scotland so always buy Scotch beef/lamb and the 'specially selected' pork but this always seems to be missing as an option when it comes to rolled gammon compared to any other cut. 'Outdoor bred' is about the best I've seen labelled and it still has added water.

Before anyone suggests buying a full leg or anything, I'm the only meat eater in the house so I'm resigned to buying smaller items for roasting.

Edited by Patrick Bateman on Tuesday 19th December 14:52

I've tried most gammon joints from expensive 'taste the difference' and all else.
What I do is buy the standard type of gammon joint ie Morissons own for about £5.
I put mine in a slow cooker for about 4-5 hours on low, just cut it in half lob loads of marmalade over it. It is always easy to carve and because of the marmalade the water it cooks in is sweet, tastes fantastic hot and makes the best sandwiches for days after. I was planning on buying a special joint to accompany the turkey but have decided to just buy the £5 instead of £15.

[Mobile Chicane]

A 'bacon collar' will do nicely for one in the slow cooker.

For some reason these have disappeared from supermarket shelves in recent years, and it's a full-on gammon joint to feed the 5,000 or nothing.

[theplayingmantis]

Patrick Bateman said:

Is it just me or does every single supermarket only supply ones 'with added water'?

Think I'm going to go with gammon for Christmas but had been holding off to try and find some higher quality stuff. I'm in Scotland so always buy Scotch beef/lamb and the 'specially selected' pork but this always seems to be missing as an option when it comes to rolled gammon compared to any other cut. 'Outdoor bred' is about the best I've seen labelled and it still has added water.

Before anyone suggests buying a full leg or anything, I'm the only meat eater in the house so I'm resigned to buying smaller items for roasting.

Edited by Patrick Bateman on Tuesday 19th December 14:52

Not sure if added water or not but Blythburgh pork is right at the top for uk pork imo.
Perhaps worth a shout although may be too late for Christmas delivery.

Wild meat Co is generally very good stuff all year and more unusual game available too.

https://www.wildmeat.co.uk/products/blythburgh-fre...

The roasting joints and chops are sublime flavour. I have had very good blythburgh gammon too but last years from my butcher was a bit tough, but that was probably the cook rather than the meat.

[mikef]

For ethnicity reasons we always have a Julskinka (pronounced "yoolshwinka") over the holiday. For anyone from Sweden, this is the taste of Christmas and even better when it's gone cold. Bloody delicious. Start with unsmoked ham. Lots of recipes online

[dontlookdown]

Go to the butcher and get a nice dry cured one.

Supermarket gammon is OK for everyday, but for Christmas you want something a bit out of the ordinary;)

[normalbloke]

Following with interest. My wife and I have a bit of a weird Crimbo this year, but I fancy doing a mahoosive gammon, and one of the marmalade recipes have caught my eye, half roast, half boiled. Be interested in other tips and tricks.

[Mr.Chips]

Bought our Christmas ham on Monday. As we have our main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve, the ham will be popped in the slow cooker in Coca Cola on Boxing Day. After that, I’ll strip the skin off, diamond score the fat and then slap on some marmalade before sticking it in the air fryer for a while. Absolutely delicious. I might even save the skin and stick that in the air fryer to try and make some scratchings!

[Patrick Bateman]

fk sake, got some from the butcher this morning and only noticed after getting home it doesn't have the skin or fat on it. Didn't even think to ask as I just assumed it would.

Not ideal for roasting!

[Cotty]

Mobile Chicane said:

A 'bacon collar' will do nicely for one in the slow cooker.

For some reason these have disappeared from supermarket shelves in recent years, and it's a full-on gammon joint to feed the 5,000 or nothing.

If the 750g that Sainsburys sell is too big, could you cut it in two, use half and freeze half.
I do that with their 1kg-1.8kg Leg Joint, a bread knife goes through easily. Cheaper than trying to buy a small joint. They were on offer a while back so stocked up and had 8 x 700g joints in the freezer.

[Sticks.]

I thought most of the supermarket ones were reformed meat, no?

[mikef]

Patrick Bateman said:

fk sake, got some from the butcher this morning and only noticed after getting home it doesn't have the skin or fat on it. Didn't even think to ask as I just assumed it would.

Not ideal for roasting!

Try a Julskinka - stud with cloves, liberally spread with mustard then breadcrumbs, then bake

[normalbloke]

Sticks. said:

I thought most of the supermarket ones were reformed meat, no?

Only the ones made from reformed meat.

[BIRMA]

Sticks. said:

I thought most of the supermarket ones were reformed meat, no?

Yes you're right, in my slow cooking process I 'cut' the 750 grm piece and every time in the process it falls apart in large chunks.
As someone who has tried all of the other types of 'taste the difference' joints rather than the £5 Morissons joint typically from £10 to £15 outdoor bred varieties I can honestly say that the £5 reformed joint when done in a slow cooker (the only way I cook it) generally comes out better, having said that I do throw a load of marmalade into the pot too
There is less fat and sinewy meat on the £5 joint and in all honesty tastes better when done in a slow cooker for a few hours.

Edited by BIRMA on Thursday 21st December 10:47

Edited by BIRMA on Thursday 21st December 10:48

Edited by BIRMA on Thursday 21st December 10:49

[chopper602]

I did a butchers gammon (1.5Kg) at the weekend and it was great. 45 mins in the Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker). If I do another for Christmas, I might take a few minutes off that time and glaze it in the air fryer - if it'll fit!

[E-bmw]

Sticks. said:

I thought most of the supermarket ones were reformed meat, no?

I could be wrong but, I think it is only "reformed" in so much as there is a bone that has been cut out & then it is rolled back together generally.

[AndyAudi]

I do love pork/bacon etc but it’s ridiculously cheap compared to other meats.

Re

'Outdoor bred' is about the best I've seen labelled”

I see “outdoor bred” mentioned a couple of times & wonder what folks think this means & if they think it makes a difference to the quality of what they’re eating?

I’m farming family born & bred & quite often think Joe Public is hoodwinked into believing they are buying better

My interpretation, a sow lives outside in a field in a pig ark, she’s artificially inseminated & has her piglets in her ark, they stay with her until weaned then taken inside to be fattened up for the rest of their days. (If they lived with access to outdoors all the time, they’d most likely be called free range…)