To Boil a Ham

Modern cookery for private families · Acton, Eliza · 1845
Source
Modern cookery for private families
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (10)
For boiling the ham
For finishing the ham
Optional addition for boiling (not tried by author)
Instructions (23)
Preparation and Boiling
  1. Determine the soaking time based on the ham's cure and age. Highly salted, hard, and old hams may need a day and night, changing the water several times.
  2. Most hams need about twelve hours of soaking, or can be soaked early on the morning of boiling.
  3. Hams pickled by Monsieur Ude's receipt need less steeping.
  4. Scrape or brush the ham clean.
  5. Pare away any blackened or rusty parts that would disfigure the ham, but avoid cutting the flesh unless necessary for appearance.
  6. Place the ham in a ham-kettle or similar vessel.
  7. Cover the ham plentifully with cold water.
  8. Bring the water very slowly to a boil.
  9. Carefully skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
  10. Once the water is clear of scum, reduce the heat so the ham simmers softly but steadily.
  11. Do not allow the ham to boil fast.
  12. Add a bunch of herbs and three or four carrots to the water after skimming.
  13. Simmer until the ham can be probed very easily with a sharp skewer or larding-pin.
Finishing
  1. Lift the ham out of the water.
  2. Strip off the skin.
  3. If an oven is available, place the ham on a drainer and set it in the oven for a few minutes.
  4. Strew fine raspings over the ham, or grate a hard-toasted crust upon it, or sift prepared bread over it, unless glazing.
  5. Do not use raspings, grated crust, or bread if glazing the ham.
Optional Boiling Method (Not Tried by Author)
  1. Put a quart of old cider, a pint of vinegar, a large bunch of sweet herbs, and a bay leaf into the boiling water.
  2. When the ham is two-thirds done, skin it.
  3. Cover the ham with raspings.
  4. Set it in an oven until it is done enough.
  5. This method is claimed to produce a superior result.
Original Text
TO BOIL A HAM. The degree of soaking which must be given to a ham before it is boiled, must depend both on the manner in which it has been cured, and on its age. If highly salted, hard, and old, a day and night, or even longer, may be requisite to dilate the pores sufficiently, and to extract a portion of the salt. To do either effectually the water must be several times changed during the steeping. We generally find hams cured by any of the receipts which we have given in this chapter quite enough soaked in twelve hours; and they are more frequently laid into water only early in the morning of the day on which they are boiled. Those pickled by Monsieur Ude’s receipt need much less steeping than any others. After the ham has been 257scraped, or brushed, as clean as possible, pare away lightly any part which, from being blackened or rusty, would disfigure it; though it is better not to cut the flesh at all unless it be really requisite for the good appearance of the joint. Lay it into a ham-kettle, or into any other vessel of a similar form, and cover it plentifully with cold water; bring it very slowly to boil, and clear off carefully the scum which will be thrown up in great abundance. So soon as the water has been cleared from this, draw back the pan quite to the edge of the stove, that the ham may be simmered softly but steadily, until it is tender. On no account allow it to boil fast. A bunch of herbs and three or four carrots, thrown in directly after the water has been skimmed, will improve it. When it can be probed very easily with a sharp skewer, or larding-pin, lift it out, strip off the skin, and should there be an oven at hand, set it in for a few minutes after having laid it on a drainer; strew fine raspings over it, or grate a hard-toasted crust, or sift upon it the prepared bread of Chapter V., unless it is to be glazed, when neither of these must be used. Small ham, 3-1/2 to 4 hours; moderate sized, 4 to 4-1/2 hours; very large, 5 to 5-1/2 hours. Obs.—We have seen the following manner of boiling a ham recommended, but we have not tried it:—“Put into the water in which it is to be boiled, a quart of old cider and a pint of vinegar, a large bunch of sweet herbs, and a bay leaf. When it is two-thirds done, skin, cover it with raspings, and set it in an oven until it is done enough: it will prove incomparably superior to a ham boiled in the usual way.”
Notes
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