To Boil a Ham
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Soak the ham in cold water for 24 hours or longer if very dry.
Scrape the ham well and cut off any rusty fat.
Cook
Place the ham in a pan of cold water and bring to a boil.
Simmer gently for 30 minutes per pound of meat.
Let the ham cool in the cooking liquid.
Finish
Remove the skin and cover the ham with raspings.
Optionally, roast the ham in a 350°F (175°C) oven for the last hour.
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 main meat, whose slow simmering makes it tender and fully cooked.
- Raspings
- Forms a crumb coating on the outside of the ham that adds texture.
The step that matters
Simmer gently. A gentle simmer cooks the ham evenly and keeps the meat tender. A rolling boil toughens the proteins and can make the outside dry or ragged.
“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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