Boiling Meat
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak the ham in cold water for 4–24 hours, depending on its dryness.
Remove any ragged or decayed parts and scrape the ham clean.
Boil
Place the ham in a pot and cover it with cold water, about 2 inches above the meat.
Heat the pot slowly for 1.5 to 2 hours before it begins to boil.
Skim off any scum that rises.
Cover the pot and simmer gently for 4–5 hours after boiling.
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
- Is the main protein; long gentle simmering makes it tender and fully cooked.
- Cold water
- Covers the ham and carries heat evenly, keeping the meat moist during cooking.
The step that matters
Heat the pot slowly. Bringing the water up gradually lets the meat warm evenly and helps keep it tender and juicy. Rushing to a boil can toughen the outer layers while the center is still cold.
“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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