HELP: is this a gammon or pork joint?

[Bookishnerd]

Please help us settle a Christmas Day argument.

We got a fancy Christmas box from the butcher with lots of different meats. Neither me or my DH are great cooks, but needs must in these troubled times.

However, we're having a raging argument as to which is the gammon joint?

I think it's the one with the most fat on the top. My DH says that's the pork joint because it's the crackling.

We're already very behind - can anyone help??

The one that is very red is the gammon. The one that just looks a normal meat colour is the pork.

So left is gammon, right is pork.

I've opened them and smelled them. The one on the right smelled more cured (though not definitive!) and also had no juices at all, where the other one had some blood.

I've made a decision that the one on the right is the gammon (because we need to get a move on if I'm going to soak it, boil it, glaze it and bake it before lunch )

If I'm wrong and I make a mess of it, what's the worst that can happen? Apart from an insufferable afternoon of I-Told-You-So from DH. Have I ruined christmas?

Thank you all your kind words of wisdom!

Merry Christmas!

Gammon is the paler one with the fat on top and no blood around it.

Paler and no blood as it's cured already, big pile of fat that you slice off after it's nearly cooked and then score and finish in the oven.

It's also a big lump that slices easily.

Also it was redder underneath....

The one with the fat is a lightly cured ham. Looks good quality. Soak, boil, score, glaze and roast.

The other is much too dark and wrong cut for a gammon. It’s a Pork tenderloin. Much too red for a ham.

If in doubt smell once opened. The ham will smell cured/salty.

Boiled pork sounds grim. Baked unboiled gammon may be ok though not as nice as boiling then finishing off in the oven. Cook a sliver to be 100% sure - the pork won't stay pink, the gammon will.

Left pork, gammon right I'd say.

Left pork, right gammon. The right is a boned leg, so gammon and left is boned and rolled shoulder - pork

Gammon isn't tied it's either netted or no string. Rolled joints are tied.

@Weedsnseeds1

Gammon isn't tied it's either netted or no string. Rolled joints are tied.

Those both look tied to me.

@Weedsnseeds1

Gammon isn't tied it's either netted or no string. Rolled joints are tied.

Yep, Errol is right, they are both tied!

Although the one on the left looks really pink it's still got blood in it, so it's can't be gammon. It's just really fresh pork.

While the gammon (right) looks a little pale in the photos I'm pretty certain. Open it up and cook a small piece in a pan.

Don't open the pork, freeze it quick if you aren't using it soon.

Honestly, get the one on the right into the pan of water It's gammon.

I'm a chef. Left is pork, right is gammon. Gammon has no blood as is cured, and has fat
To score and crisp when it's roasted after boiling. The pork looks lovely quality to be that dark in colour. Enjoy. Good luck!

@Lougle

Honestly, get the one on the right into the pan of water It's gammon.

Done! Fingers crossed! 🤞

Thanks all xx

I still maintain gammon is right, it's a leg, leg iz gammon 😁

UPDATE: it was a gammon and it was DELICIOUS

Thank God! A Christmas miracle. It's been like one of those scenes in an action movie, where they're deciding which wire to cut to disarm a bomb!

Ahem, sorry. I had a glass of wine with lunch.

UPDATE 2

We froze the pork and had it the other day. DH did it as a slow roast and then shredded it as pulled pork.

Bloody delightful.

Mentioning it because every mystery needs a satisfactory conclusion