Slow cooker ham

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Ben
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Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

To stop me eating pie and chips or whatever else for lunch, and to save a few quid, I’ve started having soup and a sandwich for lunch. Helps warm me up during Winter too.

Baxter’s soup is nice and tasty plus it’s only 80p a can at Tesco however this doesn’t fill me up enough so I like a little sandwich to go with.

Initially I was buying packaged ham for about £2 which is about 4-8 slices depending on quality, I can’t eat that “formed” s***e.

To save even more money I’ve started buying a small piece of uncooked ham from Aldi and making it myself, I’m in the process of perfecting my method but this is what I’ve been doing so far and the results have been great:

- Soak for 24 hours in plain water, change it once
- Cook in my slow cooker for 6-8hrs

I find the initial soaking removes any saltiness and horrid things caused by the cure the supermarkets do

Slow cooking makes it lovely and juicy and easy to carve

Last night I did my best one yet. I cooked it in the slow cooker submerged in cheap Aldi Coca Cola, with a tablespoon of brown sugar, tablespoon of molasses, pink peppercorns and a bay leaf

It came out with a lovely dark exterior and a perfect middle, supermarkets probably call it “black treacle ham” and charge £4 a pack!

I’m going to experiment with apple juice and cider next instead of coke

I tried glazing it in the oven a couple of times (honey/mustard) but felt it made it drier and tougher, hence why I am going to buy a special torch that glazed without raising the internal temp of the meat.

Has anyone else got some thoughts on cooking ham??
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Duncan Holmes »

My Christmas ham is done like this

Soak in water for 24 hours, with a water change half way through.

Then soak for 12 hours in 50/50 water and orange juice, with half orange and half lemon in the water.

Slow cooker overnight, then smear with honey and roast until the surface colours nicely.
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Just done this week’s ham...

12 hours in water (changed twice)
12 hours in apple juice and water (50/50)
6 hours in slow cooker on low with apple
Juice
Rested in ice water for 30mins
Glazed in a very hot oven with marmalade, whole grain mustard, honey, brown sugar

Looks and smells great, will slice it up tomorrow for my lunchtime butty
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by zodiac »

My mother in law makes a lovely ham cooked with ginger ale and cloves, never tried cooking it myself but it's lovely.
Last edited by zodiac on Sun Jan 27 2019 22:58, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Duncan Holmes »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 20:39 -
Just done this week’s ham...

12 hours in water (changed twice)
12 hours in apple juice and water (50/50)
6 hours in slow cooker on low with apple
Juice
Rested in ice water for 30mins
Glazed in a very hot oven with marmalade, whole grain mustard, honey, brown sugar

Looks and smells great, will slice it up tomorrow for my lunchtime butty
My wife is impressed, all that trouble for a butty :grin:

Bet it tastes great though :wink:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Ginger ale, that’s next week, good idea

I find cloves overpowering, maybe one in the cooking liquor but no way am I studding the ham with it
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by zodiac »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 20:39 -
Just done this week’s ham...

12 hours in water (changed twice)
12 hours in apple juice and water (50/50)
6 hours in slow cooker on low with apple
Juice
Rested in ice water for 30mins
Glazed in a very hot oven with marmalade, whole grain mustard, honey, brown sugar

Looks and smells great, will slice it up tomorrow for my lunchtime butty

Keep me some !
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Does your wife have a younger sister Dunc? 😂
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by zodiac »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 22:59 -
Ginger ale, that’s next week, good idea

I find cloves overpowering, maybe one in the cooking liquor but no way am I studding the ham with it

Aye, the cloves are in the stock, not embedded in the meat. Don't forget to make soup out of the left over stock after the ham is done.
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

I can’t help but think the glazing in the oven affects the tenderness and how the ham carves, I am sure a blow torch or my soon to arrive Searzall (no gas ‘torch taste’) will produce much better results
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by zodiac »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:00 -
Does your wife have a younger sister Dunc? 😂
Are you implying that Duncan is old? Lol
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Yeah I had a spoonful of the slow cooker liquor after it had cooled and thought it was a nice base for a soup

New slow cooker being collected tomorrow so I’ll give that a whirl

Isn’t cooking so much fun!
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Duncan Holmes »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:00 -
Does your wife have a younger sister Dunc? 😂
Her younger one, is blonde, a qualified sommelier, and likes to wear wellies. But she's taken.

The other is older, absolutely bonkers, but single. :wink:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Duncan Holmes »

zodiac wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:03 -
Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:00 -
Does your wife have a younger sister Dunc? 😂
Are you implying that Duncan is old? Lol
I am getting used to my new pair of varifocal...

So he wouldn't be that wrong :laughs: :laughs:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

zodiac wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:03 -
Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:00 -
Does your wife have a younger sister Dunc? 😂
Are you implying that Duncan is old? Lol
Haha no but I can see how it might come across that way!

For clarity, I am 42 and tend to have a ‘+5 / -10’ rule, so I like women who are 47 to 32, although it’s not strict so I will go 51 to 21 when it suits 😂

Anyway, back on topic.....
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by zodiac »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:02 -
I can’t help but think the glazing in the oven affects the tenderness and how the ham carves, I am sure a blow torch or my soon to arrive Searzall (no gas ‘torch taste’) will produce much better results
Ben, cooling and reheating like that, even in relatively controlled conditions, as well as having an effect on the tenderness of the meat, also means it won't keep as long. If you want it to last for a while in the fridge, once it's chilled it should stay chilled. If you warm it without getting to a certain temperature ( can't remember what it is, Google is your friend) it encourages bacteria growth, and it will go bad sooner.
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

I’ve just thought of a new idea....

Pikers Pit Dating Section 😂

Bizarrely TalkSport have started it so why not!?
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Duncan Holmes »

Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:11 -
I’ve just thought of a new idea....

Pikers Pit Dating Section 😂

Bizarrely TalkSport have started it so why not!?
Rosemary is going to be popular.

Only female face :scratch:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Very interesting point, I only cooled it because I knew I was going to glaze in a very hot oven and wanted to stop it being overdone

With a torch that stage wouldn’t be necessary and like I said I am sure that effects the tenderness because slow cooked in coke (no glaze) has given my best results so far

I shall bear that in mind for future ham experiments, I’m sure the Searzall will be a game changer in terms of glazing without raising the internal temp of the meat

I like my ham experiments because it’s relatively cheap and if it’s s**t the dogs will eat it anyway
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Happy Hayes »

Duncan Holmes wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:14 -
Ben wrote: Sun Jan 27 2019 23:11 -
I’ve just thought of a new idea....

Pikers Pit Dating Section 😂

Bizarrely TalkSport have started it so why not!?
Rosemary is going to be popular.

Only female face :scratch:
:laughs: :laughs: :laughs: :laughs: :laughs:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Rosemary hasn’t posted in the new food section, surely she must have some old school womanly cooking tips to pass onto us men
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by zodiac »

Yes, some hoovering and dishwashing tips wouldn't go amiss either, while we're all busy fixing cars and chopping down trees lol
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

The ham I made is nice especially the glaze, however glazing in the oven is a no no for me now, makes it tougher, looking forward to my Searzall arriving from the US
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Nobby C »

Not being funny but couldn't you just use a blow torch like they do with creamy brullee?
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Edward.P.A.C »

Don’t be daft .....he has to have the “bling” makes it taste better :roll:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

‘Torch taste’ is a problem using a blow torch and I really hate that gas taste

Never ever ever get torch taste with a Searzall
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Nobby C »

I guess so . Probably got a Jamie Oliver poster as well.
:roll:
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

No poster, but I have a couple of his books, fairly simple recipes
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

This week’s ham has been soaking for 12 hours in plain water (changed once)

I’ve just boiled up a brine of kosher salt, bay leaf, pink peppercorns, star anise, brown sugar, golden syrup, celery seeds and a few fennel seeds which will be left to cool overnight and then I’ll soak the ham in that for 12 hours

On Sunday I’ll cook it for 8 hours in my new Crock Pot slow cooker using just Coca Cola as the liquid

No need for a glaze with all that flavour

See what this turns out like
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Re: Slow cooker ham

Post by Ben »

Brine tastes nice - salty and sweet with some subtle tones from the other ingredients
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