How To Boil A Ham

Boiling a raw smoked ham makes for a delicious meal, or is the first step to making a glazed roast. I've adopted tips from Dorothy Hartley's History of Food in England for some olde timey ideas on how to improve a ham. If you have leftovers, so much the better because there are recipes that require bits of cooked smoked ham to extend the pleasure and gratitude for this food. There are loads of special Notes for this recipe, so make sure to read them to make sure you're getting the result you're looking for.

1 smoked raw ham, no matter the weight (picnic/shoulder hams are more flavorful)

• If the ham is not salted or is raw, try this brining recipe

1 large whole onion, skin and all, rough chop

2 carrots, rough chop

2 branches celery, rough chop (or a pinch of celery seed)

2 to 4 bay leaves

Small handful of whole peppercorns, about 1 Tbsp

NOTE: For best results, cook separately from a meal - the ham should cool in its own cooking water before use, which means boiling it the day before. HOWEVER, it can be used as soon as cooked all on its own and still hot as an excellent protein for a meal ('specially with roast root veg). 

NOTE: Put to soak the night before cooking.

1. Weigh the ham and calculate the cooking time (before the soak) at 15 minutes per lb.
2. Good hams are preserved with salt, which makes them very salty unless you soak them and boil the salts out of them. Soak the ham in plenty of cold water (therefore in a large pot) for a minimum of 6 hours, but preferably overnight. 
3. Drain the water, and replace with fresh cold water. Put the pot on your heat source but note, the water should not boil for any extended period - boiling will make the ham tough! Bring the water to a gentle simmer, and cook like this for about an hour for the first boil, regardless of the size of your ham. If you have a small ham, the timing for your second boil will depend on the internal temperature of the ham, outlined in step #6. 
4. Meanwhile, get the vegetables ready.
5. After the hour is up, drain the water, refill with cold water again, throw in the vegetables and spices, and set it to very gently simmer (again being careful not to let the water boil). From the calculations you made in Step 1, subtract the hour it has already simmered, and start the count-down. For the ham to be completely cooked, the internal temperature should read 155 to 160°F.
6. Once your ham is cooked, SAVE THE COOKING WATER to make soup! Leave the cooking water to cool completely and scoop off the congealed fat to use in flavoring dishes that usually use bacon for flavoring like quiches or soups. 
7. If not to eat right away, leave the ham in its cooking water to cool down completely. The flavorful cooking water will hydrate the ham to make it more succulent. The cold ham can be used to make baked ham, or its leftovers used in other dishes.

Good served with: Cabbage Braised in Milk 

Pork or Lamb Dhansak

On our journey to food sovereignty we have lived on a sheep farm, and currently we are raising pigs. There were no pigs on the sheep farm, nor are there any sheep on our current farm. While living on the sheep farm I was developing recipes that use lamb and/or mutton, but having that source of carbon dry up and be replaced by pork, I felt like I had lost a lot of time and energy. But, lo and behold, pork can substitute lamb in some instances. Ergo, this recipe is very good with either lamb or pork.

2+1 Tbsps mild oil

1 kg/2lb 4oz diced lamb or pork (or pork steaks) shoulder or leg, or a mixture of both

2 onions (12oz/340gr) chopped

25g/1oz fresh root ginger, finely grated

4 garlic cloves, pressed

2 red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped

1 green cardamom pod, finely ground

1½ Tbsp ground cumin

1½ Tbsp ground coriander

½ Tbsp ground turmeric

1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes or the equivalent in fresh chopped tomato

200ml/7fl oz beef stock

75g/2½oz red lentils

2 Tbsps honey or maple syrup

1 tsp salt 

½ tsp pepper

To serve

Savoury Rice

Steamed pumpkin pieces

• NOTE: this can prepared in the oven or in the slow cooker. Refer to points 8 and 9 in the instructions for the type of cooking you choose to use.

1. Heat two Tbsps of oil in a large frying pan. Sear the meat until it is browned on all sides. Put in the cooking pot.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the onion and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
3. Meanwhile, combine the ginger, garlic and chilli.
4. Remove the cardamom seeds from their husks and grind them to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. 
5. Add the garlic and ginger mixture to the pan along with ground cardamom and the remaining spices.
6. Add the tomatoes and beef stock to the pan and deglaze. When all the good browned bits are loose from the bottom, pour into the cooking pot.
7. Mix in the honey or maple syrup and the red lentils. 
8. SLOW COOKER METHOD: Turn the slow cooker on High and cook for 3 hours or until tender. 
9. BAKED METHOD: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Use a casserole and cover to cook for 1½ hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
10. Check the seasoning and serve with rice and steamed pumpkin.

Barley Kichadi

1 cup pearl barley  (soaked for an hour then drained)

½ cup yellow mung dal OR red lentils

2 Tbsps mild veg oil or ghee 

½ tsp mustard seeds 

½ tsp cumin seeds  

1 onion (6oz/170gr) finely chopped 

Zest from 1 lime OR fresh lemon balm

A pinch of asafoetida (aka hing)

½ inch fresh ginger, grated or chopped finely

3 to 4 green chillies, chopped finely

¼ tsp turmeric powder 

2 tomatoes (10 to 15 oz) finely chopped (or 14oz/398mL canned)

3 cups water 

1 tsp salt or to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

2 Tbsps. lemon or lime juice 

OPTIONAL: carrot, peas, fresh beans or any other vegetable of your choice

1. Soak barley and pulses for at least 1 hour in plenty of water. Drain the water away before using in the recipe. 
2. Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium flame.
3. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they pop, add chopped onions and sauté.
4. Add curry leaves, hing, ginger and green chilies. Stir fry for up to 2 minutes, or until onions become translucent.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they become soft.
6. Add the soaked barley and moong dal and mix well. 
7. Add 3 cups of water and salt. Allow the water to come to a nice boil.
8. Lower the heat and cover to cook.
9. Cook for 50 minutes to an hour or until the barley is well cooked and the water is fully absorbed.
10. Add more water if required, if you feel the barley is not cooked enough. 
11. Remove from heat and serve, sprinkled with lemon juice and garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
12. Serve barley khichdi with yogurt or as it is.