Boiled ham

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipes Boiled ham recipe

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Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

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Date Published:
16/10/2008

Hugh: "This creates the most delicious ham and easily repays your patience as you wait for the brine to work its magic. Enjoy it as, sliced for salads and sandwiches, or you can glaze and bake it if you like."

Ingredients

  • 2l water
  • 600g salt
  • 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
  • 2-3 tbsp white peppercorns
  • A couple of cloves
  • A couple of whole, dried chillies or 1tsp chilli flakes
  • A couple of bay leaves, crushed slightly to release their flavour
  • A 4.5kg-9kg half or whole leg of pork

For boiling:

  • A couple of bay leaves
  • A small glass of cider

Method: How to make boiled ham

1. Pour the water into a large pan and warm up. Tip in the salt and aromatics and stir until the salt has dissolved completely. Pour the brine into a large plastic container and cool then refrigerate until chilled.

2. Place the ham in the brine and weight it down to ensure it is completely submerged. Cover and leave in the coolest place you can find for 3 days minimum, 4 days maximum per kilo.

3. Take the ham out of the brine and soak in plenty of fresh, cold water for 24 hours. Drain and weigh the ham.

4. Place the ham in a pan with more fresh, cold water and bring to the boil. On boiling, empty the water and replace with more fresh, cold water, bay leaves and a glug of cider. Leave to simmer for about 20 minutes per 500g; allow the ham to cool in the cooking liquid.

5. Remove the ham from the water once cool and refrigerate.



© River Cottage

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Comments

  1. We would like to know what the shelf life of the ham is once it has been cured , ie pre cooking Cheers Ian
    Posted by iannewt on 18/11/2009 18:54:34
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  2. Hi - Are the responses to the questions below posted somewhere else? I have the same questions re: shelf life and colour and looking for some guidance! Thanks from a HFW programme addict.
    Posted by Jackie on 25/10/2009 10:27:25
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  3. Is there anywhere I can buy boiled ham? I have just got back from Wales my homeland the ham is out of this world .Why does all the ham over here have to be smoked? I really dislike smoked ham sorry Thanks Barbara Davies Pittsburgh
    Posted by barbara davies on 17/07/2009 23:50:32
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  4. hi like a lot of people i was wondering how long the ham will keep before i have to boil or bake it.
    Posted by sheila on 14/05/2009 02:14:39
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  5. Hi have just read your method of producing ham........but without the colour? Sorry my wife wont eat the ham because its not pink.OK so I no saltpeter is the ingredient to make explosives and the colouring is poison,but I need a PINK HAM.........Help
    Posted by pete on 07/01/2009 19:41:15
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  6. Please can you tell me how long boiled ham will keep once cooked. Thanks
    Posted by claire Elliott on 23/12/2008 18:47:06
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  7. We would like to know what the shelf life of the ham is once it has been cured , ie pre cooking Cheers GE
    Posted by George Edmund on 21/12/2008 11:57:35
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  8. Is it really only two litres of water needed for the boiled ham - this doesn't go anyway near covering the leg of pork
    Posted by emmet perry on 15/12/2008 22:00:05
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  9. How long will the ham keep after it has been cooked? PS great program well presented the average person.
    Posted by DEL on 08/12/2008 19:23:47
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  10. Hi, Was just wondering how long the ham will keep for once it has been brined?
    Posted by joanne towe on 02/12/2008 19:54:02
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  11. We would also like to know what the shelf life of the ham is once cured as we would like to make this for the family Christmas gathering and want to get the timing right. Brilliant programme!
    Posted by Sandra & Annabelle on 25/11/2008 15:58:38
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  12. Looks great but how long does it last once cured, have a leg coming on tuesday (18th) what the shelf life after curing
    Posted by myles sullivan on 13/11/2008 20:37:37
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  13. Dear Hugh fearnly-whittingstall If want people to try out your recipes then you have have to let them be able to either copy and paste it or prit it out. So can you change it so that you could easily copy it out or print it out then i think that would save a a lot of people having to right the recipe down and taht means ahving top waste paper Thank you Emily Haldin
    Posted by emily Haldin on 11/11/2008 21:57:10
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  14. a great programme by hugh. i am running some lincoln long-wool sheep on for the freezer, and some more pigs, about to try your boiled ham recipe.i am getting some british lop pigs, and want to make my own bacon, any recipes-help appreciated. keep up the good work. many thanks.
    Posted by john watts on 11/11/2008 20:01:42
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  15. I never thought I'd see the day that I would be attempting to cure my own ham! I live in a small terraced house in the north of England with a tiny yard and a tiny garden but I'm trying my best to grow my own and provide my family with the best food I can on a small budget, and I want my two baby girls to grow up knowing where their food comes from. It's a bit hard sometimes but watching Hugh on River Cottage really inspires me to keep at it and reminds me that it's all worth it in the end :) Thankyou to Hugh and all the River Cottage team! And lets hope Landshare comes to fruition, I think it's a fantastic idea! Kimberley Cartin, in Halifax
    Posted by Kimberley on 11/11/2008 15:15:24
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  16. your boiled ham recipe is being tested out now in my farm kitchen! Great programme and river cottage is super and in a county close to my heart. merry christmas
    Posted by margot darby on 10/11/2008 10:10:07
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  17. As always there was a tear in my eye when the series came to an end. Hughs passion shows us that we can all achieve contentment through good food. The programme showed me that I can brine my own ham for Christmas, but 1/2 leg of pork for 2 of us is a lot. If I bought a smaller joint (I know I can slice the ham and freeze it)would I reduce the amount of brining accordingly? How long (without smoking the ham) would it keep in the fridge? How exciting is this eh? Many thanks
    Posted by Gill on 06/11/2008 22:24:06
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