Hairy Bikers Gammon in Coke Recipe

Cola tenderises gammon in a way that water never will, because the sugar breaks the fibres down over a slow cook until the meat nearly falls apart. This Hairy Bikers gammon in coke uses that trick with the boil-then-glaze technique from British Classics, and it serves 8 at around 430 calories.

No gammon in coke recipe exists in any of the cookbooks, so this is one I built from their techniques after testing it twice in my own kitchen. The Family Favourites ginger beer ham proved that poaching gammon in a sweet fizzy liquid works, and swapping ginger beer for cola follows exactly the same logic.

The cola goes flat during the first 20 minutes of simmering, and after that it is just sugar water doing the work on the meat. Full-fat cola is essential though, because diet and zero-sugar versions give a completely different result that does not work for this recipe.

Hairy Bikers Gammon in Coke Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Slow Cooking Cuisine:British Courses:Main Course

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time:5 hours Rest time: 10 minutesTotal time:5 hours 20 minutesServings:8 servingsCalories:430 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A whole gammon joint poached in full-fat cola with cinnamon and bay leaves in a slow cooker, then stripped, scored, and roasted under a honey and mustard glaze. Built from the boil-then-glaze technique across three cookbooks and tested twice before publishing.

Ingredients

For the Slow Cook:

• 2kg unsmoked gammon joint, rolled and tied
• 1.5-2L full-fat Coca-Cola (enough to nearly cover)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• A few peppercorns

For the Glaze:

• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Blanch the gammon: Put the joint in a large pan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Drain and rinse off any white starch from the joint and pan, because this first blanch removes the excess salt that would otherwise make the finished ham too salty to eat.
2. Slow cook in cola: Place the chopped onion and carrots in the bottom of your slow cooker and sit the gammon on top. Pour over enough cola to nearly cover the joint, then add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 68°C.
3. Prepare for glazing: Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Lift the gammon out of the slow cooker and place it in a roasting tin. Carefully strip off the rind, leaving as much fat as possible, then score the fat in a diamond pattern.
4. Glaze and roast: Mix the honey, mustard, and sugar together and brush half over the scored fat. Roast for 15 minutes, then brush on the remaining glaze and roast for another 15 minutes until crispy, dark, and sticky. Rest for 10 minutes before carving.

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FAQs

Can I cook this on the hob instead of a slow cooker?

Yes, and the hob method takes about an hour and 40 minutes for a 2kg joint instead of 4 to 6 hours. Blanch the gammon in water first, then put it in a fresh pan with the cola and aromatics and simmer gently with the lid on.

The slow cooker gives a more tender result because the temperature stays low and even throughout. The gammon ham from British Classics uses the hob method with a bourbon and cherry glaze if you prefer that route.

Why does it have to be full-fat cola?

The real sugar in full-fat cola is what tenderises the meat and adds the faint sweetness that makes this method work. Diet and zero-sugar versions use artificial sweeteners that break down under heat and can leave a bitter, metallic taste in the liquid.

Any brand of full-fat cola works, and supermarket own-brand is fine because the sugar content is almost identical. The cola taste disappears completely during cooking, so the finished gammon does not taste of cola at all.

Can I use cider instead of coke?

Dry cider gives a sharper, more savoury result than cola because it has less sugar and more acidity. Use the same volume and method, but swap the honey glaze for marmalade because the citrus notes pair better with cider.

Apple juice is another option if you want sweetness without the fizz. The closest cookbook equivalent is the Family Favourites ginger beer version, which uses alcoholic Crabbies mixed with non-alcoholic Fentimans.

How do I know when the gammon is done?

The internal temperature should reach 68°C on a meat thermometer, which is the number given in both the British Classics and Family Favourites recipes. If you do not have a thermometer, push a metal skewer into the thickest part and hold it there for 10 seconds.

When you pull the skewer out, press it against the inside of your wrist. If it is too hot to hold there for more than a second, the gammon is cooked through. The meat should also feel soft when you press the top of the joint, and the liquid around it will have turned dark brown from the cola sugars.

Can you freeze gammon cooked in coke?

Slice or dice the cooked gammon and freeze it in airtight bags for up to three months. The glaze will not be crispy after thawing, but the meat stays tender because the cola has already done its work during the slow cook.

Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat slices gently at 160°C for 10 minutes, or use cold in sandwiches straight from the fridge. Do not refreeze gammon that has already been frozen and thawed.