Boiled Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the ham in warm water and rub it with a wet cloth.
Place the ham in a large pot and fill it with cold water.
Boil
Bring the water to a boil slowly, then boil briskly.
Turn the ham occasionally and cook for 4 hours if over 10 pounds, or 3 hours if under.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- The main cut; slow cooking in liquid softens its connective tissue and keeps it moist.
- Water
- Cooking liquid that transfers heat evenly around the ham as it simmers.
The step that matters
Bring the water to a boil slowly. Starting the ham in cold water and heating gradually lets heat reach the centre without overcooking the outer layers. Rapid heating can toughen the surface meat while the inside is still cooking.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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