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Christmas Roasted Ham

(32 Posts)
Icandoit Mon 23-Dec-24 12:53:57

Bit of advice if I may? I always do a roast ham for our Christmas dinner, along with turkey etc. however I do normaly do it the day before. I was wondering what advice you would give, if any, to do it the day before Christmas or actually on Christmas Day? I thought it may be better done on Chrsitmas Day and serve it whilst still warm but I also think it would be too much to actually prepare along with everything else. Any advice please?

Jaxjacky Thu 26-Dec-24 20:17:47

mabon1 I’ve been doing it for 30 odd years and we’re all fine.

mabon1 Thu 26-Dec-24 19:46:04

I always understood that part cooking is not a good idea.

MaizieD Thu 26-Dec-24 09:17:01

I don’t know if anyone else said ‘part cook’ the ham the day before but I certainly didn’t.

If the ham has been thoroughly cooked the day before, i.e to the internal temperature of 60 degrees needed to destroy bacteria, then cooled rapidly and kept refrigerated there shouldn’t be any problem with glazing it and reheating it in the oven.

Anyway, no-one seems to have been poisoned and I hope you all had a great Christmas day with fabulous food 😁

M0nica Wed 25-Dec-24 19:46:31

Don't like pigs in blankets. prefer a gammon joint and sausagemeat stuffing.

semperfidelis Tue 24-Dec-24 18:30:13

I do without the ham! Piles of pigs in blankets instead, cooked on the grill/convection setting of my multi function microwave oven. Remember those? They are still very versatile.
The turkey can be cooked in the conventional oven.

cc Tue 24-Dec-24 16:18:44

I usually do it on Christmas Eve for supper, but we're out tonight and I'm not sure if I'll have time tomorrow. I do like a slice of gammon with the rest of the Christmas lunch but we have loads of bacon and whatever so I don't think it will matter. Might be nice to have a break from the white meat and have it hot on Boxing Day.

JaneJudge Tue 24-Dec-24 16:07:25

I cook mine in cola in the slow cooker

Icandoit Tue 24-Dec-24 15:58:51

Yes I def missed the recipe Allira, however did my ham today, boiled then roasted, cider, gloves, black pepper brown sugar and mustard.. It looks scrumpious although I say it myself, lets hope it is. Will find out tomorrow wink Merry Christmas to all.

Mojack26 Tue 24-Dec-24 15:00:25

I also have ham along with beef. Not big turkey lovers..I always cook day before and reheat in oven. Not as stressful....potatoes ready to go in oven too and soup made.

Allira Tue 24-Dec-24 13:45:13

Par-boil it, take off the skin, make criss-cross cuts in the fat and cover with good marmalade, then finish off by roasting.

I wouldn't leave it until the next day to roast it in case it caused problems.

Vintagegirl Tue 24-Dec-24 13:41:19

I always cook in slow cooker the day before if it fits. Then slice when cold and arrange on dish in portions with turkey on top. A bit of gravy for liquid and tin foil top and into oven to reheat 15 mins or so then serve up on hot plates. I am doing the turkey today as well.

Humbley Tue 24-Dec-24 13:40:20

We put our ham in the oven with water and covered the dish and ham over with siver foil. After 2 hrs we took it out and covered it with pineapple from a tin secured by cocktail sticks the put brown sugar and the juces from tin pineapple together stir and pour over the ham for the last 30 mins we cooked ours yesterday and had a roast the rest is cold for boxing day and lasts up to a week so easy to carve and delicious

Allira Tue 24-Dec-24 13:38:16

Icandoit
Perhaps you missed the best recipe for cooking the Christmas gammon which was reposted last week.

Here's a reminder:

www.gransnet.com/forums/christmas/a1343468-Cursing-the-Gammon-Phoenix

Allira Tue 24-Dec-24 13:36:22

When I did mine in the slow cooker one year it fell to pieces and wouldn't carve well at all.
It did taste food, though.

Ziplok Tue 24-Dec-24 13:36:19

I cook mine on the day of eating in the slow cooker for most of its cooking time (sometimes all of it if I can’t be bothered with the oven), then give it a final 20 minutes roasting in the oven - but as I say, only do that if I can’t be bothered. It’s delicious either way.
I wouldn’t part cook it one day and finish it the next, not sure that’s a good idea, especially with pork, but not any meat, really - I’d be concerned about food poisoning.

VerbenaGirl Tue 24-Dec-24 13:34:06

I would like ours warm this year, so will cook in the slow cooker to serve alongside the turkey.

Grunty Tue 24-Dec-24 13:02:28

I've roasted my ham in the air fryer this year. Kept it wrapped up in double foil to keep it moist and succulent. And it frees up oven space too.

PuffernutterUK Tue 24-Dec-24 12:43:15

I waterbath my ham - gives a very succulent taste and is very tender. Finished off in the oven with a maple syrup and mustard glaze.

Bluesmum Tue 24-Dec-24 12:40:01

All these comments about part cooking one day then “finishing off” the next really surprise me. I would never re-heat any joint, especially a part cooked one, as I have always understood this to be extremely dangerous, especially in pork!??? Have I been wrong all these years? I have just roasted my gammon for Boxing Day, when we will have it cold. On the packaging it clearly states “ do not reheat’!

MaizieD Mon 23-Dec-24 21:09:02

If you boil it the day before and then glaze it and heat it in one piece in the oven along with the bird it won't go dry. It's only likely to dry out if sliced and reheated.

But I presume the sliced and reheated ham has some of the cooking liquid added to it to stop it drying out?

Debbi58 Mon 23-Dec-24 21:02:05

How to people warm the meat the next day please , without it going dry . Thanks

Witzend Mon 23-Dec-24 19:26:15

I always cook ours (baked with a spicy orange and mustard glaze) on Christmas Eve - more than enough cooking to cope with on the day! - but we don’t usually start on it until Boxing Day, except for some picking in the evening. We don’t have 🎄dinner until 5 ish, so people are usually too stuffed to want much else later.

shysal Mon 23-Dec-24 16:48:51

It makes life easier if I cook it the day before. I then slice it neatly when cold, and just warm up the required quantity on the following day(s).

Icandoit Mon 23-Dec-24 14:13:52

Thank you all for your comments. I've actually just tried to put it in my slow cooker however it's bit too big. I shall now do as I normally do and cook it tomorrow in my large saucepan and finish it off in the oven. Just thought I would maybe try something different but as ususal have reverted to my old ways. Merry Xmas to you all and hope your hams are delicious.

Jaxjacky Mon 23-Dec-24 14:01:42

You could part cook it in a slow cooker, or pan on the stove today or tomorrow, then finish it off in the oven on the day. I’m doing ours now in the slow cooker, it’ll be finished in the oven today too as it will be served cold on Boxing Day.