Gammon is a festive favourite in many households in the UK. It’s a cured and smoked pork leg that can be roasted, boiled or slow cooked to make a delicious and tender ham.
Whether you serve it hot or cold, with all the trimmings or in sandwiches, gammon is a versatile and satisfying meat that can feed a crowd.
And if you don’t know: Gammon is gammon until it is cooked which is when it becomes ham!
Here are some tips from the Christmas.co.uk team on how to buy and cook gammon for Christmas dinner.
How popular is gammon for Christmas lunch?
Its name is derived from the Old Northern French word ‘gambe’ which means ‘leg’ – referring to the leg of pork from which it is traditionally cut.
Historically, gammon has been a festive delicacy, gracing Christmas tables for centuries.
Its popularity stems from its rich, savoury flavour and the ability to serve a large gathering, making it a practical choice for family feasts.
Today, gammon is one of the most popular meats for Christmas lunch in the UK.
In some surveys, gammon is the second most popular meat after turkey to enjoy.
It’s also a popular choice for Boxing Day meals too, as it can be easily reheated or served cold with salads, chutneys or pickles.
Why do people choose to eat gammon for Christmas lunch?
There are many reasons why people choose to eat gammon for Christmas lunch. Some of them are:
- Gammon is easy to prepare and cook. You don’t need to be a skilled chef or require lots of equipment to make a delicious ham. You can also make it ahead of time and reheat it or serve it cold on the day.
- Gammon is versatile and adaptable. You can glaze it with different flavours and ingredients to suit your taste buds. You can also serve it with various sides and sauces to complement it.
- Gammon is economical and sustainable. You can get a lot of servings from one joint of gammon. You can also use the leftovers for other meals or dishes, such as sandwiches, soups or pies.
- Gammon is traditional and festive. Gammon has a long history of being eaten at Christmas time in the UK. It’s a classic and comforting dish that brings back memories and nostalgia.
So, if you’re looking for a tasty and easy alternative to turkey this Christmas, why not try gammon? It’s a crowd-pleaser that will make your festive feast unforgettable.
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Christmas roast gammon – How to cook recipe
This video by the Original Naked Chef shows what to look for when buying a gammon joint and how to prepare it – mainly by soaking it in water. There’s also a recommendation to place the gammon in hot water and then simmer it for a few minutes to reduce the salt content.
Then, using foil to line a baking tray, the chef creates a mini oven to cook the gammon in.
The recipe sees the gammon being cooked at 55 minutes per kilo, plus 25 minutes.
And 30 minutes before the cooking time is complete, the chef carefully removes the skin and scores the fat. After that, he adds a honey and mustard glaze and some cloves, before returning to the oven.
When the cooking time is complete, the gammon looks crisp and tasty as a festive meal treat.
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How to buy gammon for Christmas dinner
When buying gammon, look for a joint that has a good layer of fat on top – this will keep the meat moist and add flavour.
You can choose between smoked or unsmoked gammon, depending on your preference.
Smoked gammon has a more intense and salty taste, while unsmoked gammon is milder and sweeter.
You can also choose between bone-in or boneless gammon.
Bone-in gammon has more flavour and texture, but boneless gammon is easier to carve and serve.
The size of the gammon joint depends on how many people you want to feed and how much you want as leftovers for another meal.
As a rule, you can calculate about 250g of raw gammon per person. For example, a 2kg boneless – or a 2.5kg bone-in – joint will serve about eight people.
How to cook gammon at Christmas
There are several ways to cook gammon, but the most common methods are roasting, boiling or slow cooking.
From our experience, roasting is the simplest and quickest way to cook gammon.
You just need to score the fat, stud it with cloves, glaze it with your favourite ingredients (such as honey, mustard, marmalade, ginger or treacle) and roast it in a hot oven for 40 minutes per kilo plus 20 minutes – that means a 1kg gammon joint will take an hour to cook.
Boiling is another easy way to cook gammon. You place the joint in a large pot of water with some aromatics (such as onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns or allspice) and simmer it gently for about 40 minutes per kilo. So, one kilo will take 40 minutes, while a 5kg boneless joint will take three hours and 20 minutes. You can then transfer the joint to a baking dish, glaze it and finish it in the oven for about 10-20 minutes to get a crispy crust.
Slow cooking is a great way to make your gammon extra tender and juicy. You can use a slow cooker or an oven-proof casserole dish with a lid. You just need to place the joint in the slow cooker or dish with some liquid (such as a cola, cider, stock or water) and some spices (such as cinnamon, star anise, ginger or cloves) and cook it on low for about six hours. You can then glaze it and grill it or roast it for about 10-15 minutes to get a sticky coating.
Christmas.co.uk top tip: You could boil a gammon joint on Christmas Eve and then finish it in the oven on Christmas Day. Make sure it is thoroughly cooked through – consider using a meat thermometer – and be aware the oven might already be packed. You should work out the cooking times to ensure the meat is cooked – or you can boil or roast a joint on Christmas Eve, slice it and then simply heat the slices when needed for the festive dinner table. The ideal internal cooked temperature for the meat should be at least 75°C (165°F). When you leave the joint to rest, it will continue cooking. The safe minimum temperature to ensure that the meat is safe to eat, just so you know, is 62°C (145°F).
If you are considering this time saving hack of slicing the meat after cooking, you should follow these instructions:
Reheating gammon in an oven
- Preheat the oven to 165°C
- Place the slices on a baking sheet and cover with foil
- Heat for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Adding a small amount of liquid, such as broth or water, to the baking sheet can help retain moisture.
Reheating in the microwave
- Place the slices on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel
- Microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute per slice, checking and flipping halfway through.
Adding a tablespoon of water or broth to the plate can also help.
Reheating in a skillet
- Add a teaspoon of water or broth to a skillet
- Heat the slices over medium heat until warmed through
- This method can add a bit of crispiness to the meat.
Remember, the key is to avoid overcooking the meat, as this will dry it out further.
By using these methods and keeping the reheating time to a minimum, you can help preserve the moisture of your sliced gammon.
Christmas recipe for sticky ginger beer gammon
Out of all the recipes for gammon at Christmas, we love this offering from Sainsburys.
This sticky ginger beer gammon is not only easy to cook, but the finished product looks great!
It’s easy to make and creates a scrumptious offering at the dinner table – or for a Boxing Day buffet.
For the gammon joint:
- 2kg gammon joint – boneless
- 2 peeled and roughly sliced carrots
- 1 peeled and quartered onion
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
- 1 litre of ginger beer
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 oranges, quartered
For the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons of clear honey
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- Juice of 1 orange
- 50g of light brown sugar
Method:
- Begin by placing the gammon into a generously sized pot. Add the onion, carrots, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Pour in the ginger beer and add enough water to fully submerge the gammon. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. Let it simmer for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the gammon occasionally emerges from the liquid, replenish with boiling water. After simmering, remove the pot from the heat and let the gammon cool within the liquid for about 1½ hours.
- Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) or gas mark 5. Gently transfer the gammon onto a cutting board. Peel off the skin and create diamond-shaped scores on the fat.
- In a small saucepan, gently heat the honey, sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice over low heat. Gradually increase the heat and allow the mixture to simmer until it transforms into a thick, syrupy consistency.
- Cover a roasting tin with foil and carefully transfer the gammon onto it. Add the quartered oranges to the tin. Apply half of the prepared glaze over the fat of the gammon, then place it in the preheated oven. Roast for approximately 45 minutes, remembering to brush the remaining glaze over the gammon’s surface halfway through the roasting process.
What to serve with Christmas gammon?
Gammon makes for an excellent roast and pairs delightfully with a diverse array of vegetables. Opt for two or three vegetable options, in addition to potatoes.
While roast potatoes are a classic choice, you have the flexibility to include baked or mashed potatoes.
We would also use in-season vegetables, ensuring a visually appealing plate. That means adding carrots, red cabbage and roasted parsnips to the mix. You can roast the parsnips in the same tray as the potatoes for convenience.
For an added touch, there’s the opportunity to add a nice sauce.
We find that cauliflower cheese is a sound choice, with a lovely creamy complement – a nice touch if you aren’t planning to offer gravy!
The flavours of your Christmas gammon can also be enhanced by the addition of mustard, apple sauce or even cranberry sauce.
Other traditional choices include baked beans, asparagus, broccoli, (plain) cauliflower and even coleslaw.
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Perfect roast ham with marmalade glaze
Here’s another great video from Jamie Oliver who takes a piece of salted, uncooked gammon and creates an impressive Christmas ham.
He puts the gammon into hot water for an hour, so it is poached with aromatics.
From the pot, he removes the skin but keeps the fat which he then scores.
This will help crisp the gammon and he puts the joint in the oven for 20 minutes.
As it cooks, he takes it out to baste several times and adds pepper – there’s no need to add salt since there is enough in the meat.
However, he does add marmalade to create a sweet glaze.
The joint needs regular basting as it cooks – he does the basting with the joint in the oven. He also uses a rosemary brush to add flavour.
The cooked gammon is now a flavour-packed Christmas ham!
It also looks great and will impress Christmas dinner guests.
