[RebeccaM]

Hi,  Can anyone help me and my cooking ham problem.  I bought a 2.5 lb ham to cook and followed a recipe that someone gave me which was to boil (simmer) the ham with a potato for 1 and 1/2 hours and then bake with the glaze on it for 20 mins, I have tried this twice and both times the ham is really tough so I presumme I am over cooking it but have not a clue how long I should boil it for.

Can anyone let me know how they cook their ham, I do also have a slow cooker if it is best done that way. 

thanks

[nothinghasdiedyet]

Here's the way I cook mine
Pop the Joint in water and bring to the boil once water boils remove joint and pour away water.
Bring a fresh pot of water to the boil and reintroduce the ham for 20min per pound (so 2.5lb would be 50mins) I then glaze it (Honey) and roast @ 200c for 20mins.

My MIL has a way of cooking hers in a pressure cooker which makes hers slightly ofter but I don't know the times and I don't have a pressure cooker

[Trillium]

Are you sure you're buying a ham that needs to be cooked? Can't find any of those here anymore as all are ready to eat, just need some heating up or heated with sauces added.
If you are cooking it, then your times are far too long. Pork is not a tough meat like beef so the 50 minutes suggested sounds more accurate.

[madcat]

And don't boil it - just simmer it very, very gently with maybe some peppercorns, a bayleaf and some parsley stalks!  Boil it - and it goes tough.

[Aunt Sally]

No bubbles rising.  Just the water moving slightly

[Ice]

Like a tiny fart in a bathtub.

[madcat]

And they say I bring down the tone of the neighbourhood!   

Missed the bit about you having a slow cooker - yes that would be good.  20mins on high to get it warm and then on low until it is done but not falling apart.  Out, quick drain, apply glaze and bake to finish the glaze.  Then rest the meat for at least 20 mins somewhere warm before you carve.

Treat it tender and it will be tender!   

[Aunt Sally]

ICE

[Ice]

ICE

Don't pretend you've never done it.

[Stripey_cat]

I'd go with fairly long cooking, but at the slowest simmer you can manage.  I tend to refer to it as "shivering" - you want the top of the water to be shaking slightly, rather than bubbling.

[MoreWhisky]

All this talk of ham , im going to buy a joint tomorrow 

[noshed]

Get some bacon to boil, it's just as nice but cheaper

[nothinghasdiedyet]

All this talk of ham , im going to buy a joint tomorrow 

I'm calling 999 thats now a class B

[Brambles]

Yes true... Ham does not need too much cooking...  I simmer mine in water with peppercorns, bay leaf and a few scrapes of a nutmeg, then when almost done, take off the heat and leave in the water to cool a bit...  lovely and moist

[Parsnip]

Get some bacon to boil, it's just as nice but cheaper

I bought a ham hock today from the farm butcher I go to....

It will be cooked in water( not boiled, thats just a term) when it's falling off the bone, I'll take it out, leave it to rest a while. Then I'll put cabbage into the ham cooking juices, cook that for a bit.

In the meanwhile cook some spuds, mash 'em loads. ( In Ireland, my Uncles and aunts would only eat their spuds boiled in the skin, they'd go in a big bowl on the table. They would then skin them before they ate them..with loads of real butter. )

Drain the cabbage, saving some of the juice...and serve with cuts of the bacon and the spuds..with he juice........mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Me mam, she always made a onion sauce to go with it...

Simple food and just gorgeous