Cooking gammon

I think a lot of people do leave the netting on, but it's usually elasticated, and I'm not sure I'd like that cooked with the gammon. If you have any butcher's style string or twine, then why not remove the net and then re-tie it securely with that instead? Or do you have any long metal skewers? I bought half a dozen from a butcher years ago and they've proved invaluable in holding rolled joints together.

I had all this kind of thing before the fire indinana but not any more. Wonder if ordinary string would do?

I did Gammon for Boxing Day. I boiled it with onion, carrot and herbs first.

Then I removed the net and rind, leaving fat layer on. Then I scored it in diamond shapes and studded the intersections with cloves. I then smothered it with a mixture of maple syrup and coarse grain mustard, covered with foil and cooked in the oven for 15 mins. Then removed foil basted with more of the mixture and cooked for another 30 mins. Rested it for 20 mins.

Timings depend on size of Gammon.

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Leave it on. It's there for a purpose. (To keep it up together)

I agree with jings, leave it on. And, like J52, I always boil before roasting.

My sister always does one that is boiled in water first, then drained, then simmered in cider, onion, peppercorns etc. Time depends on size. Finally finished off in the oven after doing the diamond thing with cloves and a honey and mustard glaze. Net is left on while it is being boiled until the final bit when you take the net off off to brown in the oven.

Does anyone else just boil theirs ? (with the net on )
I've never roasted mine afterwards. We all like it that way.

Depends if it's just for MrP & I, nina, if it is then I don't bother with the roasting bit!

I soak the joint for 24 hours then roast it; I've never boiled it first

I always boil mine for the time needed minus 30 mins, take it out and let cool a bit. Then remove rind and score fat. Cover with honey/mustard glaze and bake for 30 mins. I take the net off before putting in the water.

Thanks for all this help. That's really informed my thinking

I'm not boiling it first, it's a long (12-24 hours) very slow cook in oven wrapped in swaddling clothes layers of foil.

So I'm going with the bold 'leave it on' advice - remembering the net will be removed with the rind for the final glaze and blast in the oven.

I used to soak then boil it (simmer)
Then I started simmering it then finishing it off in the oven

The (smallish) one I bought this year (Tesco Finest Outdoor Reared and Loved etc etc etc) and pre-scored, the recipe said to just bake in the oven, loosely covered with foil. If I had realised, I would have sliced off all the rind before finishing off uncovered.
It wasn't salty and was delicious.

I think you're supposed to leave the net on, it must be safe.

My friend rears farm turkeys and makes up roasts of several boned and rolled Turkey legs using the netting. She told me specifically to leave the netting on as it is of cooking quality.

Local butcher told me that decent quality gammon does not really need all that soaking nowadays....they use much less salt evidently. I used to just bring it very gently up to a simmer and then drain off that water, replace with fresh and add some peppercorns a bay leaf or two and celery tops, now I don't even do the first stage. I do however, always make sure I am simmering it as gently as possible....all about matching the ring to the size of saucepan.
Sometimes we like it as is....but sometimes I make a glaze of coarse mustard and honey or marmalade with extra dark sugar and slather that all over the skinned joint and pop into oven for half an hour or so.

Well it's in t'oven, wearing it's hair net and a liberal dose of black treacle and wrapped up in umpteen layers of foil. Unsoaked and unboiled.

It will cook on100oC until I can be bothered to fetch it out sometime tomorrow morning.

Ninathenana, I often do it just in water, in its net, we have it hot with creamy leek sauce, then the stock I use for pea and ham soup adding pieces of the leftovers.

Well all I can say was it was delicious and carved beautifully even when hot.

The net peeled off with the treacly (sp?) rind and then it was ready for glazing.

Glad it was a success!

I did the maple syrup and mustard topping after boiling it in coke . It tasted delicious - nice and moist but was tough to chew . Later on , for a snack , I experimented by thinly slicing in the opposite direction , covering it with it's juices and reheating it for a a few seconds and it was much better .