Serve this honey glazed ham with our creamy Rosemary Potatoes au Gratin for a luxurious dinner. Gammon is one of my favourite things to cook for a holiday meal since it’s so easy and never disappoints. Because this cut of pork is cured and smoked, it comes with so much pre-loaded flavour I barely have to do anything. And to make matters even simpler, I love cooking it in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker (Instant Pot). In the first case, it allows me time to focus on other items of the menu while the gammon is in the slow cooker. It also frees up oven space. And an Instant Pot is brilliant for the times when I didn’t plan ahead and need food to be cooked fast!
Difference between gammon and ham
If you are not from the UK, chances are you are not familiar with the term gammon. I’d never heard of it until I moved to London years ago. Gammon is actually uncooked ham, and the term is used more commonly here than ham. I am not sure if it’s still possible to find an equivalent in the US as most hams are sold pre-cooked. The advantage of gammon is freshness, of course! You can cook it yourself and put your own spin on it. For example, this gammon was cooked in apple cider, which gave my ham a slightly sweet flavour. Absolutely to die for! Gammon is always cured but could be either smoked or unsmoked. I always go for the smoked one. It’s the flavour my family prefers. Another way to vary a gammon recipe is to add a beautiful glaze to it. After the gammon has been cooked, glaze it, then quickly blast it with high heat in the oven for a beautiful caramelized finish.
Honey mustard glaze
Usually large gammon joints come covered with pork skin. I suggest keeping it on for the cooking process. The extra fat bastes the gammon and imparts flavour and moisture. However, it’s a different story when it comes to glazing the ham. You will want to untie your gammon joint and cut the skin off with a sharp knife leaving a thin layer of fat underneath. Score the fat in a diamond fashion, then glaze it and bake in a hot oven until the the fat is mostly rendered and the top is caramelized. The most common ingredients for a glaze are honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or apricot preserves. I also love using blackcurrant preserves for my ham glazes. They all have something in common. They are sweet and sticky. The sweetness is a nice counterbalance to the salty and smoky flavours of the ham. And the stickiness is helpful if we want the glaze to stay attached! I personally always add a touch of wholegrain mustard as I am not a fan of things that are just plain sweet. I believe the mustard is a perfect ingredient to offset it. Just 10 minutes in the oven at 200C/400F will be enough to caramelize the top of the ham without burning.
Serving suggestions
A lovely glazed ham often finds its way to holiday dinner tables, and won’t look out of place at any time of the year. I think this is a piece of brilliance. Let the slow cooker do the work so you can go and enjoy yourself with the rest of the family! Fill out your table with a beautiful potato dish like Scalloped Potatoes with Carmelised Shallots. Or switch it up with Butternut Squash Casserole! Next you’ll need a lovely selection of roast vegetables like Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts and Carrots and Honey Garlic Parsnips. Crown it off with Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls and you have a feast to remember!
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers will keep very well in the fridge for up to a week. Or keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months without sacrificing texture and flavour. The genius of leftover slow cooker gammon or ham is how many varied ways it can be used. You can use slices in a sandwich or cube it and make a lovely omelette. But there is room for a lot of creativity as well. Check out the links below for some of my favourites to turn leftovers into something new and amazing!
Leftover ham recipes
Classic Croque Monsieur Yellow Split Pea and Ham Soup Ham and Cheese Puffs with Asparagus 15 Minute Ham and Mushroom Naan Pizza Ham and Pea Soup
