Best prepared at least 12 hours in advance
(or use this for any fresh pork e.g. shoulder, leg or belly)
How much meat do you need?
Allow 200g boneless pork per person if this is the only protein main course served
For 8-10 people (approx. 1,6kg to 2kg pork) use
For the cooking liquid you need
2 medium white onions (chopped)
150ml dark brown sugar
150ml soy sauce
500ml ginger beer or ginger ale
30ml Korean Chili Paste (Gochujang) OR a blend of 25ml Sriracha paste, 50ml chilli tomato chutney and 25ml soy sauce
30ml Mirin (or white wine vinegar)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
To serve: 2-3 spring onions, finely sliced, 20ml toasted sesame seeds (if one of your side dishes have sesame seeds omit them here), 1-2 fresh MILD red chillies finely sliced (optional)
To prepare
I find it best to use a pressure cooker. It is fast and you will always be assured of succulent meat. Alternatively oven bake.
Mix all the ingredients in a pressure cooker or in a deep roasting pan.
Place the meat into the sauce turning it a few times until it is well coated but finishing with the skin side up, if the cut has the skin on.
Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes for cuts under 1kg. For over 1kg cook for extra 5 minutes for every 250g.
For oven baking, cover well with foil and bake at 180⁰C for 60 minutes for up to 1kg and an additional 20 minutes for every additional 250g. After an hour you may have to add some boiling water to top up the evaporated liquid.
Once the cooking time has finished, if the cut has skin on, using a sharp knife, remove the skin and discard it.
Place the meat back into the warm cooking liquid and let it stand covered for 3-4 hours. I leave my pressure cooker on ‘keep warm’. This is essential as the ‘resting time’ allows the meat to retain succulence.
I prefer to carve the gammon ahead of time, arrange it on a large platter and serve it at room temperature. Heat the cooking liquid to boiling point and let it reduce until it is slightly syrupy and lightly drizzle it over the gammon, but do not coat the meat. The sauce will mask the delicate meat flavour. Sprinkle the spring onions, sesame seeds and chillies over the meat.