Mastering The Beaumark Hot Pot: The Ultimate Guide To Cooking Gammon

Cooking Gammon in the Beaumark Hot Pot

The Beaumark Hot Pot is a versatile kitchen appliance that can be used to cook a variety of dishes, including soups, stews, pasta, rice, fish, ribs, joints, and more. With its 6-litre capacity, it's perfect for preparing meals for the entire family. In this article, we'll focus on how to cook gammon in the Beaumark Hot Pot, a tasty dish that's sure to impress your taste buds and your family!

Soak gammon in cold water for 12–24 hours to remove salt

Soaking your gammon in cold water before cooking is an important step to ensure that your meat is not overly salty. Depending on the cure and the size of the gammon, you should soak it in cold water for 12 to 24 hours. This will help to remove excess salt and impurities from the curing process.

To start the soaking process, place the gammon in a large bowl or stockpot and cover it completely with cold water. If you don't have a container large enough, you can also use your sink. Make sure that the gammon is fully submerged. If you are short on time, a few hours of soaking will still help to reduce the saltiness, and you can also boil the gammon for 30 minutes to help remove the excess salt.

After soaking, drain the water and rinse the gammon with clean water. If there are any slimy bits of fat or remaining salt on the surface, use your hands to rub them off. Then, you can proceed with the next steps in your chosen recipe, such as boiling or roasting.

Soaking your gammon is a crucial step to ensure that your meat is not too salty and that the flavours are balanced. By taking the time to soak your gammon, you will be rewarded with a more delicious and enjoyable dish.

Boil gammon with aromatics like bay leaves, onions and carrots

Cooking a gammon joint can be intimidating, but it's a great investment all year round. Boiling is a great way to cook gammon, and adding aromatics like bay leaves, onions, and carrots is a fantastic way to enhance the flavour. Here is a step-by-step guide to boiling gammon with aromatics in the Beaumark Hot Pot:

• Soaking: While soaking gammon to remove excess saltiness is generally unnecessary, it is always a good idea to check with your butcher or look at the pack instructions. For added flavour, you can soak the gammon in apple cider vinegar or cold water for at least 12 hours or even up to 24 hours. This will help remove any impurities and excess salt.
• Boiling: Place the gammon joint in the Beaumark Hot Pot and cover it completely with liquid. You can use water, fruit juice, cider, or any liquid of your choice. If you used water for soaking, be sure to replace it with fresh cold water for boiling. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Aromatics: To enhance the flavour of your gammon, add aromatic ingredients like bay leaves, onions, carrots, and herbs of your choice. You can also add other spices such as cinnamon, coriander seeds, or peppercorns.
• Cooking Time: The general rule of thumb for cooking gammon is around 20 minutes per 450g of gammon or 20 minutes per pound. However, it is recommended to weigh the meat first and then calculate the cooking time. You can also use a meat thermometer to ensure the gammon is cooked through and remains juicy.
• Serving: Once the gammon is cooked, remove it from the Beaumark Hot Pot and let it rest before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a succulent dish. You can serve gammon hot or cold. Traditional serving suggestions include parsley sauce or a sweet cranberry and port relish.
• Storage: To store gammon, seal it in foil to enhance the flavours and preserve freshness. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and follow food safety guidelines for handling and storing meat.

By following these steps and adding your chosen aromatics, you can create a delicious and tender gammon dish using the Beaumark Hot Pot. Enjoy your homemade feast!

Braise vegetables to serve with gammon

To braise vegetables to serve with gammon, you can follow these steps:

First, choose your vegetables. Braising works great for both thick and thin vegetables, so you can choose anything from green beans, scallions, artichokes, celery, and asparagus to big chunks of parsnips, carrots, or potatoes. For serving with gammon, you might want to choose vegetables that complement the flavours of the gammon, such as cabbage, leeks, onions, or carrots.

Next, chop your vegetables into large, rustic chunks. Aim for uniformity in size so that all the vegetables cook at the same rate. If you are combining tougher and more tender vegetables, chop the tougher ones slightly smaller so that they finish cooking at the same time.

Now, you can begin braising. Braising involves gentle cooking with a bit of liquid in a covered pot. Start by heating some oil or butter in a Dutch oven or a large cast-iron pot with a lid. Add some aromatics like onion, garlic, ginger, or chilli, and any hardy herbs or whole spices. You can also add some meat, such as bacon or sausage, for extra flavour.

Once your aromatics are cooked, add your vegetables back into the pot. Pour in a liquid—such as water, stock, wine, cider, or vinegar—until it reaches about one-third of the height of the vegetables. You want enough liquid to create a savoury sauce without diluting the flavours or turning your vegetables into soup.

Cover the pot and simmer on the stovetop or in the oven until the vegetables are tender. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to over two hours, depending on the vegetables and the size of the pieces. Remember that braised vegetables are often better the next day, as the flavours continue to develop as they cool and then get reheated.

Finally, remove the lid during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to reduce the braising liquid and create a saucy consistency. Then, serve your vegetables alongside your gammon for a delicious and hearty meal.

Glaze the gammon with honey, mustard and brown sugar

To make a honey, mustard and brown sugar glaze for your gammon, you'll need to mix together honey, mustard and brown sugar. You can adjust the quantities to taste, but a good starting point is two tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons of mustard and two tablespoons of brown sugar. You can use dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard, or a combination of the two. You could also add a splash of spiced rum to the glaze for extra flavour.

Once you've mixed your glaze, take your gammon out of the pan and leave it to cool on a chopping board for a few minutes. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully remove the skin, trying to leave as much of the fat behind as possible. This will help to keep the gammon moist and add flavour. Next, score the fat in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife. This will allow the glaze to seep through and give the gammon an irresistibly crispy, caramelised finish.

Now it's time to apply the glaze. Generously brush the gammon with the honey, mustard and brown sugar mixture, making sure to cover every nook and cranny. Then, place the gammon in a roasting pan and put it in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes, then brush with the remaining glaze. Return the gammon to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until it is sticky and golden brown.

Finally, leave the gammon to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving into thick slices. Enjoy!

Rest gammon before serving to redistribute juices

Cooking gammon in the Beaumark Hot Pot involves a combination of boiling and baking. To boil a gammon joint, place it in a pan and cover it with cold water. You can add cloves, black peppercorns, or bay leaves for flavour. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes per 450g, plus an additional 20 minutes or until the joint is thoroughly cooked. For the baking stage, boil the joint as above for half the cooking time, then drain and wrap it in foil before placing it in a roasting tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until thoroughly cooked.

Now, here's why you should rest gammon before serving:

When you cook meat, the muscle fibres start to firm up and water is pushed out. This moisture moves outward toward the surface of the meat, and some of it eventually evaporates. When you take your gammon out of the Beaumark Hot Pot, the moisture still inside needs time to redistribute back through the meat. If you cut into it right away, the liquid will pool out and your gammon will be dry. By letting it rest, the moisture is re-absorbed, resulting in tender and juicy meat.

Additionally, a large piece of meat will continue to cook for a few minutes after you take it out of the pot due to carry-over cooking. This is why many recipes instruct you to remove the meat from the heat source just before it is fully cooked. Tenting the meat with foil will help keep it warm. The amount of resting time will vary depending on the cut and cooking technique, but it is usually between 10 and 20 minutes.

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