Gammon bargain conundrum

Itchytrigg

Itchytrigg

Itchytrigg

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Joined
27 Jan 2009
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Oxfordshire
My wife's just text me as my parents gave us a 4.5kg bone in joint as it was reduced in Sainsburys to £1.34 with tomorrow as it's use by date, bargain of the year so far but it leaves with a question...

What to do with it being I won't have time to cook it for dinner when I get home and our freezer hasn't the space for it as a whole.

I thought I'd chop some gammon steaks for tonight, then I'm tempted to cook the rest straight up so I've ham for the fridge for a few days. Or am I best just chop it all into steaks which I should be able to get creative on space in the freezer with smaller pieces.
 
Could do that. Shame to butcher such a lovely joint though. Cant you cook it one night and then eat it the next using these reheating tips? You'll get a few more days out of it if cooked. Whatever is left after reheating, slice up for sarnies. You obviously don't reheat a second time unless you are very fond of your toilet.

https://www.nigella.com/ask/ham-for-christmas
 
Chop it up.
Freeze what won't be used imminently.
Defrost & Cook when needed at a later date.
Re-freeze any excess.
Defrost & Devour when required.

Have done this in the past with other meats and lived to tell the tale...
 
Gammon is unlikely to go off on the best before date. It's cured meat (and potentially smoked too). Unless it looks really grim (in which case, why buy it?) I'd not worry about it.
 
Thanks guys, at work so can't check it's condition properly till I get home. This was an un-smoked cut from what I could tell from the photo my wife sent.

Was just wondering to how to get the best out of it really given i'd never be able to treat it right unless it lasted till the weekend (I'm now drooling at the idea of doing it on the BBQ :()
 
I'd be very very surprised if it's not absolutely fine by the weekend and for a quid I'd probably risk it.
 
I'd expect it to last to the weekend personally.

If it looks like it's on the edge of turning then your plan of some steaks and cook the rest to use as a ham sounds like the best one...but again I don't think that's likely.

If you've got a pic post it up :)
 
I think you're right and it would last. Without opening the packaging it looks decent to me.

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It's even better as it was free to me, my parents bought 2 at the same 30p per kilo.

I guess they've a time by which they have to dump the Christmas stock hence the huge discount. Weekend it is, might have to slow roast as I appear to have run out of coal/the only bag I have looks to have gotten damp. If only I had a container big enough to do it with the Anova!
 
Coming from a butcher who has worked with gammon and all the other meat you can get it will be fine for more than likely another 5 days. 7 depending on current state. If it a vac pac joint then pretty much 7 days, loose then 5 days. Make sure you give it a rinse with cold water as they can sweat a little and give off a little pong. Nothing to worry about but some people will chuck it even if there is a slight aroma.
 
Small update, taken out of the packaging and it looks and smells great still :) Gave it a rinse off as mentioned above.

Going to be following the BBC's slow baked receipt so will be going into the oven real soon for 4.5hrs at 140. I added the extra time given the size and bone.
 
Was very tasty. I was concerned the glaze was going to be overpowering as the ginger was strong but wasn't an issue at all.

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I now have 3 large foil parcels of left overs to keep my company for the week!
 
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