It may sound a little but obscure, but Slow Cooker Gammon in Cola really works! Using the cola as a cooking stock adds a sweet malty taste to the meat which really enhances the flavour.
Gammon is a great joint of meat to serve as an alternative to more traditional slow cooker roast beef or slow cooker lamb shoulder.
I like to think it’s fairly foolproof with the cooking too, as you start off by simmering the joint in liquid which keeps it nice and moist.
Coupled with a honey and mustard glaze, it’s a really delicious combination!
How do I prepare Slow Cooker Gammon in Cola?
Slow Cooker Gammon in Cola is easy to prepare and really is just a case of putting the ingredients in the slow cooker and leaving it to cook for the day.
Once the gammon is cooked, remove it from the stock, score and glaze before roasting. I think it’s quite traditional to score the fat in diamond shapes and press cloves into the corners.
I certainly remember my Grandma cooking gammon this way when I was younger and I think it’s still a beautiful way to prepare it now!
It not only adds quite a decorative touch which looks great once roasted, but also the flavour of cloves works so well with gammon it’s worth taking this extra step!
Roast for 30 minutes in the oven, basting half way through and you’ll end up with a beautiful golden gammon joint.
What type of Gammon should I buy?
Most butchers and supermarkets sell pre-rolled, uncooked gammon joints in both smoked and un-smoked varieties.
This recipe requires un-smoked gammon; otherwise the flavours of the stock and glaze will be obscured by the smoke.
In some areas, gammon is pre-salted depending on the type of cure that the butcher has used. In these cases, the meat should first be soaked overnight (longer for large joints) to remove some of the salt before cooking.
Usually soaking isn’t necessary but it is worth checking when you purchase whether this should be factored into your preparations.
Another thing to check when you are buying gammon is whether the joint is one whole piece of meat. Sometimes the roll is created by a few cuts which are more likely to fall apart and mis-shape during cooking.
One piece rolls are preferential as the moisture will stay locked in, and it’s easier to carve when serving!
More Delicious Gammon Recipes
Crockpot is a brilliant way to cook a gammon joint. Why not try these other tasty ham recipes?
What’s best to serve with Gammon?
When I make Slow Cooker Gammon on a weekday I serve it simply with chips, egg and salad, but it also works well as a Sunday roast with all of the usual trimmings.
It’s also popular to make this over the Christmas holidays and is something that we usually have on Boxing Day with all Christmas leftovers!
What’s the difference between Gammon and Ham?
The main difference between gammon and ham is that gammon is sold raw, and ham is sold either cooked or dry-cured (the same as bacon) and can be eaten straight away.
Both gammon and ham are the same cut of meat – they come from the rear legs of the pig.
How long does Slow Cooker Gammon in Cola keep once cooked?
If there are leftovers from the joint you can wrap them up and it will keep well in the fridge for 3 days. It’s perfect for slicing thinly and putting in sandwiches.
Slow Cooker Gammon in Cola
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 kg Gammon joint rolled and unsmoked
For the cooking stock
- 2 L Coca Cola full fat, not diet
- 1 large onion roughly sliced
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 1 celery stick roughly chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ tsp black pepper ground
For the glaze
- 150 ml honey
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ tsp black pepper ground
- 1 tbsp cloves
Instructions
- Place the gammon into the slow cooker fat and skin side up with the string intact (to ensure it remains rolled up). Arrange the roughly chopped onion, carrot and celery around the gammon joint. Put in the bay leaves and sprinkle over the ground black pepper.
- Pour over the cola so it covers the meat entirely. Cook on low for 8 hours or 4 on high.
- Check that the meat is cooked through. You can do this by:1. Checking that the skin and fat are receding from the edge of the joint2. Piece the meat with a skewer, the meat should look light pink and slightly flaky. The skewer should be able to pierce through to the middle of the joint with little resistance.3. Insert a meat thermometer to the centre of the joint, it will read upwards of 160°F or 71°C.
- Remove the gammon from the pot and discard the cooking stock. Then remove the skin to leave just the layer of fat on the outside of the meat. Place the joint in a roasting tin fat side up.
- With a sharp knife make score lines in the fat and slightly into the meat in diamond shapes. Press in a clove into each corner of a diamond.
- In a jug mix the honey, cider vinegar, mustard and ground black pepper and then pour half of this over the top of the meat ensuring the glaze covers the fat.
- Place the joint in a pre-heated oven at 190°C or fan 170°C. After 15 minutes baste the meat with any glaze that has dripped into the pan, and pour over the remaining glaze from the jug. Return the joint to the oven for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the gammon from the oven and carve.
Chris
Tuesday 11th of October 2022
A great taste, our 2nd gammon was cooked in supermarket own brand cola and was just as nice.
Vanessa
Wednesday 13th of January 2021
Can’t wait to try this tomorrow... not got carrots or celery but gonna see how it turns out! ?
Linda Cray
Wednesday 23rd of December 2020
Is there anything you can use the coke for once the ham is cooked.
Samantha Griffiths
Thursday 17th of December 2020
Bloody lovely
Dave
Friday 18th of December 2020
Thanks Samantha!
Jane Barnes
Sunday 13th of December 2020
Making this for family on Christmas Eve. Do I use dried or fresh bay leaves