Coca Cola Ham

ham on wooden board next to parsley and apple sauce

5 from 1 vote

Cooking ham in coca cola may seem odd, but after trying this recipe you won't make ham any other way. It's sweet, sticky, juicy and DELICIOUS!

Prep Time10

Cook Time4 30

Total Time4 40

Course: Main Course, Roast Dinner

Cuisine: American, British

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2 / $2.50

Equipment

Slow Cooker or Large Pot with Lid (see notes)
Baking Tray & Aluminium Foil
Small Pot & Wooden Spoon
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Cooling Rack
Tongs

Ingredients

Cola Ham

3lb / 1.4kg Boneless Gammon Joint (smoked or unsmoked, skin on or off - see notes)
50 fl oz / 1.5litres / 2.6 pints Coca Cola (NOT diet or zero, must be full sugar)
1 medium Onion, quartered
1 medium Carrot, quartered
2 Star Anise
1 3" stick or 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tbsp Black Peppercorns

Glaze

1/3 cup / 65g Brown Sugar
1/4 cup / 50g Honey
1/4 cup / 60ml Coca Cola (save before adding to ham to cook)
3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
handful of Cloves

Instructions

Add gammon to slow cooker and pour over cola until just about covered, saving 1/4cup/60ml. Top up with water if needed. Add in onion, carrot, star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns. Place on the lid and cook on high for 4 hours.
Meanwhile, in a small pot over low-medium heat combine sugar, mustard, honey and leftover cola. Simmer for 5mins until the sugar dissolves and it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. It will continue to thicken as it rests.
Remove ham from slow cooker and place on a wire rack above a tray or plate (to catch juices). Make sure it's fat side up. Once cool enough to handle, score the fat in a criss-cross style to create large diamonds. Be careful not to slice into the ham. Stud a clove at the tip of each diamond.
Place ham on a foiled baking tray. Scrunch up some foil to prop the ham up so it doesn't fall over if you need to. Brush around 2/3 of your glaze all over the ham.
Place in the oven at 200C/390F for 15mins, take out and reglaze with leftover glaze then pop back in the oven for another 10mins or so until it starts to caramelize and lightly char.
Allow the ham to rest for 10-15mins (important) then slice up. Can remove cloves before slicing if you wish!

Video

Notes

a) Safe Temp for Gammon - The centre should reach 145F/62C after slow cooking, as it's cooked from raw. The oven time is mostly to caramelize the outside, but will continue cooking the meat.

b) Skin on Ham - If your joint has skin on, leave it on to slow cook then carefully slice off after, leaving as much fat on the ham as possible.

c) Can I make this on the stove instead of the slow cooker? - You can simmer the gammon on the stove in all of the ingredients used above. You'll want to do it for approx 20mins per pound (40mins per kg). So for a 3lb/1.4kg gammon it'll take 60mins (add 15-20mins if simmering straight from fridge). Refer to above recommend internal temp.

d) Leftovers - Perfect for ham sandwiches! Just allow the ham to completely cool then tightly cover in the fridge. I usually keep it for 2-3days, but work to your discretion.

e) Calories - shared between 6. Overestimate as assumes all the cola is consumed.

Nutrition