Slow Cooker Gammon in Cider

Cider pouring over gammon in a slow cooker with vegetables and spices.

My Slow Cooker Gammon In Cider recipe makes easy work of cooking a gammon joint. Slowly braised with fragrant whole spices and apple cider on a bed of vegetables before finishing with a simple maple glaze.

5 from 40 votes

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Course: Main

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 4

Resting Time: 15

Total Time: 4 20

Servings:

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Sarah James

Equipment

Slow Cooker or CrockPot - you will need a 6.5 litre or 6 quart slow cooker for a 2 kg gammon joint.

Ingredients

1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick / stalk
2 kg boneless unsmoked gammon joint
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
½ tsp allspice berries
cinnamon stick - about 1cm ⅜” long
500 ml cider - I used dry cider
1 litre water

Maple Glaze

2 tbs French mustard
4 tbs Maple syrup

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Cut the onion horizontally to give three evenly thick slices. Chop the carrot and celery into 3 or 4 pieces of about the same length.
Lay the vegetables in the slow cooker to form a trivet and then place the gammon on top.
Add the peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon and bay leaves around the gammon joint.
Pour in the cider and the water.
Place the lid on and cook on HIGH for 4 - 6 hours or on LOW for 6 - 8 hours.
Remove the ham and vegetables from the slow cooker and set aside to slightly cool for 10 to 15 minutes. (The braising liquid can be kept for use as a stock on another occasion)
Pre heat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 400F.
Use a small sharp knife to carefully remove the rind and some of the fat from the gammon joint. Leave an approximately 1cm / ⅜” thick layer of fat intact.
Whilst not cutting too deeply, lightly score the fat in a diamond pattern.
Place the cooked vegetables on a baking tray lined with foil and rest the gammon on top of the vegetables.
Mix the glaze ingredients together and spread half onto the scored fat.
Roast in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes before covering with the remainder of the glaze. Roast for a further 15 minutes.
Cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Type of gammon joint - I prefer boneless and unsmoked, but you could choose bone-in and smoked, depending on your preference. If you choose a bone-in gammon joint check for cooking times as it will take longer to cook.
Liquid - there is no need to completely cover the gammon with liquid as a slow cooker lid restricts evaporation. Any evaporated liquid condenses on the slow cooker lid and returns to the pot. This slow cooker gammon recipe uses 500ml of cider and 1litre of water. Alternatively, use apple juice instead of cider.
Checking it is cooked - use a knife to insert into the centre of the meat and pull it out again. If the knife comes out easily without resistance then the gammon is ready. Alternatively, insert a food thermometer into the centre of the meat. The temperature should be at least 71 C / 160 F. Whilst resting the meat, cooking will continue and the temperature increase by a few degrees.
Serve with - roast potatoes and vegetables or homemade chips and eggs or as part of a buffet dish
Storing - wrapped well, this will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Cook on the Stove

Place the ingredients in a large saucepan or heavy casserole suitable for a hob. You will need an extra 500 mls of water as you are cooking it on the hob.
Bring to the boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cover.
Don't let the gammon boil as it's cooking or it will become tough and dry.
Continue from Step 6 of the recipe instructions to finish.