Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak the ham in cold water for 24 hours, or less for smaller or less dry hams.
Scrape off all ragged, rusty, or decayed parts to clean the ham.
Boil
Place the ham in a pot and cover it with cold water, about 2 inches above the ham.
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 to 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
- Provides the meat, which is cured and dried, so soaking draws out excess salt before cooking.
The step that matters
Soaking the ham. Soaking draws out salt from an old, dry-cured ham. Soaking too briefly leaves it oversalted, while soaking too long on a small or less dry ham can make it bland. Timing depends on the ham's size and dryness.
“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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