CarneAtlas

Gammon

Pork · Leg
RoastCure
Raw Gammon — Pork Leg cut

The British cured-leg-of-pork tradition — the rear leg of the pig is wet-cured (brined) or dry-cured, then sold raw to be cooked at home. Once boiled, baked, or glazed-and-roasted, it becomes "cooked ham." Uniquely British as a category: distinct from fresh leg of pork (uncured), from Italian prosciutto / Spanish jamón ibérico / French Bayonne / German Schwarzwälder (air-cured-and-aged hams eaten raw), and from American "ham" (which usually refers to the cooked product, not the raw cured joint). Available smoked or unsmoked, on the bone or boneless, as steaks or as whole joints. Christmas-dinner gammon — boiled then baked with a clove-and-mustard glaze — is one of the cornerstones of British festive cooking.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇬🇧United KingdomGammonprimaryWet-cured or dry-cured raw leg of pork, sold to be cooked at home. Becomes "ham" once cooked. Distinct British category, not interchangeable with prosciutto or jamón ibérico.
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Classic recipe

Glazed Christmas Gammon4 hr

The English Christmas-table centrepiece — a whole gammon poached in cider until tender, then studded with cloves, glazed…

Get this cut right

Steak searing in a cast-iron skillet beside an unbranded knife

$$ · everyday prep, trimming, and carving

Slice against the grain cleanly every time

Slicing steak, trimming small amounts of fat, chopping aromatics, and general kitchen work.

Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife

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