Ham in Cherry Coke a la Nigella....will diet coke work?

[MyLittleOwls]

Just a quickie, I haven't got any Cherry Coke do you think I could substitute diet coke and it still be edible or is it all to do with the sugar in the cherry coke?

[tingletangle]

She says in her book not to use diet. I know someone who did and apparantly it was not nice.

[Justalittlereindeer]

I think you need the full fat variety. I had a similar prob yesterday...realised I only had diet in. I read something about the aspartame in diet coke going a bit funny when it's heated, so I vetoed it and boiled it in cider instead. Still yummy!

[alarkaspree]

No absolutely not. You need sugar and you can't heat aspartame.

[MyLittleOwls]

Thanks all, will do a honey and cider type thingie instead

[BeenBeta]

Diet will surely be horrid?

Aspartame (Nutrasweet) is a dervative of Phenylalanine and Aspartic acid which are amino acids.

Sugar is necessary for it to caramelise.

[rainbowstardrops]

I cooked bacon in coke (diet) once, in the slow cooker and it was delicious!!!!

[panettoinydog]

Nooooo!

[Himalaya]

You need the sugar for the Mailard reaction. The sugar reacts with the protein in the meat for the roasty meat crust. Some caramelisation too. Use honey instead.

[MyLittleOwls]

Ok so just boiled it in cold water to remove salt......next step is what please?

was going to encase in foil and glaze in honey and brown sugar but when to add them?

cakes are soooo much easier

[MyLittleOwls]

Holy Crap......in a fit of sheer madness I removed the fatty skin [shocked]

It is now secured with a rather large skewer and I muttered some bollocks wise cooking words to DH about letting air circulate to make the meat even more tasty, as if

What shall I do?

[tomhardyismydh]

is it cooked through from boiling? if not I would place it in a high oven for about an hour and glaze it every 20mins or so. do nt cook it in the foil as it wont glaze.

[said]

Any full fat fizzy drink will work - ginger ale is great

[MyLittleOwls]

Many Thanks tomhardy it is just possible you have saved my bacon....

[catinthehat2]

you boil or slowcook until it is basically cooked through using water , coke etc

then take off the skin, leave even layer of decorative fat

score the fatty layer with slanted parallel lines one way, then the other so you end up with diamonds.

poke a clove into each diamond (yes, you need to score more than 2 millimeters apart)

spread some sugary tasty gloop on the outside - marmalade, brown sugar, honey, mustard etc .

shove in oven until the fatty/sugary layer is crisp

the end

[Himalaya]

Meat, fat, sugar, heat...you can't really go wrong. Go easy on the cloves though.

[MyLittleOwls]

catinthehat and said.....I think I love you

will report back

[Oblomov]

Little owls, don't panic. You are supposed to remove some of the fat, atleast most people do.
I soak mine all day, boil for an hour, then cut off most of the fat. then into the oven, cover in foil for 3/4 of the time, then uncover, pour marinade over and then cook for the last 1/4. Always works for me.

[catinthehat2]

It should look like this at the end if you haven't overdone the cloves.