I want to start cooking my own ham to make Nice Ham for sandwiches

[morningpaper]

If you do this, what is your weekly schedule i.e. what day do you cook it on?

And how do you slice it thin enough?

How do you eke it out and not gobble it all up?

do NOT boil it in coke. waste of good stock.

sunday and i try not to eat it hot - am the only one who likes ham anyway. lentil soup with stock.

sharp knife and cut it straight from fridge. waitrose unsmoked doesn't need soaking.

I usually buy the 900g uncooked lumps of gammon and boil for about 1.5 hours.
I also invested in a meat slicer from argos. When the meat is cooled I slice it up then freeze the slices between greaseproof paper.
Make the kids school sandwiches in the morning with the frozen meat and it is defrosted and edible by lunchtime.

I also do beef, lamb, pork and sometimes chicken and turkey if I find some decent rolled joints.

So what type of meat are we talking about. I need precise details here. Will any joint type meat work? i.e. leg joint, shoulder joint ... I presume you try and use one that doesn't have a bone in the middle. What about using those rolled up pieces with the stringy stuff around them?

Ahh, but Aitch Nigella has a soup which she makes with the coke/stock afterwards

It is very delicious (the ham cooked in coke, not the coke soup. The very thought of it does not appeal!)

What do you do with ham stock and is it very salty?

OK ham experts - you've inspired me to give it a go!
But two questions: does it actually work out cheaper cooking your own ham? Or do you do it just because it tastes better?
And, does it freeze OK? I have put packet ham in the freezer and that turns out fine.

lol foxy, it's been discussed many times on here, no one has yet reported enjoying that bogging black bean soup.

my mother's old trick with soup or stock that's too salty is to peel a floury potato and bung that in while cooking and it takes up a lot of the salt. but then i steep my hams overnight before cooking so mine actually aren't that salty anyway.

and it's lentil soup every time for me. sluuuurp.

On the subject of ham - you know how we're always being told to eat less processed meat because of link with bowel cancer? Does nice ham cooked at home count as processed meat? Is it the sodium nitrate or whatever in packet ham that's the baddie?

I also have the same question about Nice Sausages! (ie. from farm shop, no preservatives or fillers).

I would like to know the answer to that too. My DS2 loves all processed meat, salami, ham, sausages, etc and I do try to restrict it and buy good quality, but its still processed and still has 'stuff' added.

Lady - what size ham do you buy? and how many people is that feeding (for lunch and for sandwiches?)

Bump - does anyone know the answer to my question?

I did this, being a good mum but both DSs refused to eat it more than once. They preferred plastic, thin, definitely-not-nice ham.

And as for Nigella's ham cooked in Coke, I've never tasted or smelt anything so vile in all my life. Hideous.

On the subject of slicing it - I suggest an electric knife. They're not expensive.

I got one recently and it's excellent for ham and also roast joints.

I think I'll start another thread - see if anyone knows

FAQ - There are five of us and I have a 1.2kg ham this week which will be enough for a meal and lots of sandwiches.

I think the Nigella ham in cherry coke is really good. We have that lots here.

1.2kg for 5 plus sandwiches! I was looking at ham in the supermarket (yes I know I know - but the local butcher is all mass produced imported stuff too) and the biggest ones they had cost about £12 and would probably have done for a meal and maybe 2 days of sandwiches (at a push) [ponders]

Nice Ham For Dummies:

Go to butcher/supermarket.

Buy a piece of Ham/Gammon.

About a kilo+.

It is round, wrapped in plastic, cost about £5.

Stick 2 inches of water in bottom of slow cooker. Put in Ham overnight on low.

Slice.

Eat a kilo of Ham for breakfast.

Try your butcher. I got a 1.1kg lump of gammon for £2.99 yesterday. Did 5 of us a ploughmans for tea, butties today and there is some more in the freezer.

To answer WriggleJiggle Any meat works. Even with a bone in if you hand carve it.

And Knpeppa Look at the price of a packet of sliced ham and check the weight. Then find out how much a chunk of gammon costs and work it out.

Even if you buy the processed stuff (and I'm including beef etc) that is pumped full of water and god knows what else the cost isn't too much more.
In my local asda 2 slices of roast beef cost about £2 on the deli counter. I can get a small joint for about a fiver and get enough for a few days

It might be a bit more effort, but it tastes so much better.
Come on...when did you last find sliced lamb in the supermarket? Lamb butties...bit of mint sauce when you cook it....dribble smiley...and roast pork...try it with a bit of apple sauce. Oh joy!

Everything (beef, ham, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey) has frozen fine.

Noisy, that was just what i needed, thank you! Going to make this on Sunday so will report back.

ItsAllaBitNoisy - nice ham for muppets - that's great, thankyou . Am very tempted to go shopping today . Mmmmm. THis time tomorrow I could be eating my very own nice ham. DH will be dead impressed.

This sounds brilliant, have been meaning to get round to this for ages and will definitely go for it now.

One question for you guys who are freezing the sliced cooked meat e.g. for sandwiches - i thought meat had to be properly reheated after being frozen, can you really just let it defrost by lunchtime? that would be a genius timesaver...

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/04/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall

just to up the ante....

Loobylolly I've been doing this for months. Stick the frozen meat on the bread cut and wrap as usual. It is always fine by lunchtime...DH usually has a sandwich about 10.30 and he says they are alright by then (They are made about 7-8 am).
And no-one has been ill.