Cooking a gammon if I don’t want the crackling

[AliceinSlumberland]

Hi all,
I’ve accidentally bought a gammon piece with the fat on for crackling but my family isn’t fussed in crackling and I wanted to boil it in coke then bake with a glaze - stupid question but can I still do this? Do I just cut the fat off before or after boiling it?
Thanks all! I’m a bit of a novice!

I would keep the fat on while cooking so you get all the flavour, then remove before doing your glaze.

All the coke recipes I use require a certain amount of fat so it will be fine.

I didn't think you could get crackling on a gammon. We always boil it, then add cloves and mustard and brown sugar and baked it.
I do love crackling though. But I thought it only came on regular pork?

I simmer it for the required time then cut any fat away and put the glaze onto it then bake it for a little while

I would definitely keep the fat on whilst boiling and also whilst glazing - do you mean there's a layer of skin / rind on top of the fat (which is what makes the crackling)? If so I would slice this off after boiling xx

I'm cooking a large piece of gammon now OP, in coke too. Doing mine in the slow cooker but yes keep skin in for moistness and flavour and then cut off when cooked and cooled leaving thin layer of fat. Score this, stud with cloves and cover with sugar etc and then blast in a hot oven, good luck!

Gammon doesn't really make crackling. Cook it with skin on them removed the skin and slightly crisp up/glaze the fat layer in the oven.

Boil the gammon with the rind on. Cut the rind off, leaving a thin layer of fat before baking. I score a diamond pattern and cover in mustard and then brown sugar and stud with cloves.

You don't really get crackling on gammon. You just cook it (boil or roast), slice off the rind leaving a thin layer of fat thinness varies dependent on your skill level

You then score it, glaze and stick in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Boil it (actually don't, simmer it gently) as usual, when it's nearly up to temperature take it out and remove the skin but leave a layer of fat. Score that in a diamond pattern and add your glaze then finish in the oven.
That part is fun. Burny fingers 😅

I always do a gammon with crackling on Boxing Day 🤷‍♀️ but in this case I agree with the others to leave the fat on initially then trim it off before glazing/finishing cooking.

I suspect there are some cross purposes conversations here.

I am guessing there is a rind on it. So, after doing the coke bit the rind should peel off. This should leave a layer of fat. Ideally, leave that on whilst you roast it you off - you put your flavouring/glaze on top.

You could take the all the fat off before you roast it and just glaze the remains of the ham however the ham will benefit from the fat in cooking to keep it moist and then you can strip off all the fat if you are really fat phobic.

No the fat can stay, I must mean the rind!

Thank you all for your help, fingers crossed I get it right!

Do you then pull the cloves out before slicing?

I just leave them. It’s only one clove in the center of each large diamond that I have scored. People can easily avoid them. And if they accidentally eat one, it will do no harm.

This is what you are aiming for:

If it's just fat it wont crackle, leave it on for cooking.

This recipe explains things fairly well.

After you peel the skin off you need to be left with a thin layer of fat to score (as per the photo):

www.nigella.com/recipes/ham-in-coca-cola

What you can do, is when you have removed the rind after boiling/slow cooking/PCing your gammon, dry it, salt it, and put it on a baking sheet in the oven and it will crackle

However I chop it into tiny pieces and the birds get a treat

Just wanted to come back and say thank
you, I cooked it using all of your advice and it’s bloody amazing, dead impressed with myself 😂😂😂 thank you all so much!