Easy lunchbox ham
This is the way I cook ham every time, whether I’m serving it for dinner or using the meat for sandwiches in the week.
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
310
MINUTES
Ingredients
1kg ham
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
One onion, halved
Method
Place the ham into a very large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skimming the top of the water and turn down to a simmer, adding the vegetables. You can add any aromatics you like - a few cloves are always welcome here.
Simmer gently for two hours and remove, leaving to cool on a rack. When it is completely cold, slice thinly and store in a covered container for up to three days in the fridge.
If freezing, place between sheets of greaseproof paper and store in a covered container. This freezing method will work with most meat and is a cost-effective and healthy way to fill family lunchboxes with healthy sandwich fillers.
Top tip: To turn this into a wonderfully frugal one-pot meal, add 1.5kg of potatoes to the pot after the first 90 minutes, and half a cabbage, finely sliced five minutes before the end of the cooking time. If you want to serve it with a parsley sauce, melt 30g of butter in the small pot, sprinkle two tablespoons of plain flour and cook off in the melted butter. Bit by bit add a half-and-half mixture of 150ml warm milk and spoonfuls of the cooking liquor from the boiling ham. Add fresh chopped parsley to taste.
