Legalbuff Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Hello all,If you've been following my progress into becoming a Christmas fan, this is my update:The Christmas tree is up. The house has been decorated - inside AND out.The menu is in the planning phase and somehow a small Christmas Eve gettogether at our place has morphed into a huge Christmas party for new friends who are all spending Christmas alone.And this all from the Grinch. I hope everyone is duly impressed. I am scared s***less. I've never had that many people over for anything. I THINK I have a handle on it, but oh dear!!So I've decided that I want to do some pork for one of the meat dishes. Maybe a roast or a gammon.And here I need help.I need to know what is the difference between the two, and ESPECIALLY - what is your recipes? The favourite recipe that can't fail even if your dumb as a post in a kitchen.I want to serve it cold, with mustard (thus the recipe request the other day...) if that makes any difference...HELP.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Gammon is cured pork meat, traditionally cured the same way as bacon, which is then cooked. Roast pork is unsalted, uncured ("raw") pig's meat cooked. Ham is salt cured pork which is usually glazed and cooked. All three have different flavours, so you need to decide which is the flavour you're after - nothing worse than going to all that effort and getting the wrong result!There is a great butcher in Hilton who stocks organic pork products, and Scarfos in Myaree also has high quality meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TweetyandChester Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I think gammon is smoked.... I saw yesterday that David Jones has lots of food - already prepared . You can choose from a selection of oven roasted and smoked hams and turkeys. Pork pies or cranberry and turkey pies etc... even cheeses, wines and crackers could be nice. With just the 2 of us, we sometimes have a variety of cheeses and crackers and just have a little picinic. Very romantic! In winter we would do it on a blanket in the middle of the lounge floor surrounded by candles. I am thinking this could be a nice idea for Chritmas eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TweetyandChester Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Gammon is cured pork meat, traditionally cured the same way as bacon, which is then cooked. Roast pork is unsalted, uncured ("raw") pig's meat cooked. Ham is salt cured pork which is usually glazed and cooked. All three have different flavours, so you need to decide which is the flavour you're after - nothing worse than going to all that effort and getting the wrong result!There is a great butcher in Hilton who stocks organic pork products, and Scarfos in Myaree also has high quality meat.Thanks! Now I know too! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 BTW the Taste website is one of my favourites for new ideas, there's a section devoted entirely to Christmas! In Australia the traditional Christmas day always includes prawns on the barbie, which is something I can happily become accustomed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TweetyandChester Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Oh yes! Prawn, sundried tomato, basil pesto and avo makes a good combination o a bed of lettuce!!! AND do not forget that WINE!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyW Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 The menu is in the planning phase and somehow a small Christmas Eve gettogether at our place has morphed into a huge Christmas party for new friends who are all spending Christmas alone.And this all from the Grinch. I hope everyone is duly impressed. I am scared s***less. I've never had that many people over for anything. I THINK I have a handle on it, but oh dear!!Hi LB,Okay just phoned everyone up far NOR, and we all want to know what time is food, and the address.Hee!! Hee!!! Well all I can say is that at least you wont feel too morbid on Christmas Day with all of the entertaining.Good Luck!CheersKathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legalbuff Posted December 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 (edited) Oh Kathy - Let me hone my skills on my current victims first! We can then (in the New Year) assess the fallout (read: bodycount...) and then we'll do it PROPERLY Christmas 2009...Like I said - scared beyond my wits!!!!!So if I want to make a ham - how do I glaze it???? Edited December 10, 2008 by Legalbuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyW Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I once saw on one of those foodie thingy'sMustard, Irish Stout and cloves.I'm sure that there is somebody out there with lekker ideas, try Cindy's website, just checked it out. Very informative.Please let us all know the outcome of the victims status next year.Hee!! Hee!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 OK! To glaze and cook a ham you'll need to peel the skin off: yuck - cut a circle at each end of the ham and then a long line down the middle then peel it back. Keep the skin, you should never cling wrap leftover ham but rather wrap it in the leftover skin or a tea towel. Score the fat that was beneath the skin - using a sharp knife partially cut into the fat using long diagonal strokes. Dot the fat with whole cloves and mix up your chosen glaze to brush over the ham whilst it's cooking. (If you cut the fat off the ham will be very dry - healthy but dry!)There's a nice recipe in this months Australian Women's Weekly (such an odd name for a monthly publication!) that uses Guinness as a base, with mustard powder and sugar. I like to use mustard powder, pineapple juice and brown (treacle) sugar. Some people also put pineapple on the ham - either small chopped pieces or whole rings (and the height of insult to good food - those yucky plastic cherries!)A quick cheat - if you have a heat gun (DIY tool used for stripping paint) or a blow torch you can blast the glaze once the ham is cooked to give a crispy brown finish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legalbuff Posted December 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Cindylou - you are a marvel!!!! Not looking forward to the peeling of the skin bit. Yuck - o!! But will give it a try - I've always wanted to try and do a proper ham!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Good luck LB, hope it goes well. Tweety - I love your plan, fresh pesto and prawns....yum.This year I'm really lucky - I get to bring the salads.I'm going to throw a bunch of salads together and then do a bit of an antipasto thing with various "add your own" ingredients (for those of us who don't like things like avo - how odd is that?) My fav at the moment is marinated olives and feta with ripe baby tomatoes and tossed about with a bit of basil pesto. oooh it must be almost time for lunch.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polly Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Also try the Recipes + magazine. It is $2.50 and is full of Christmas recipes plus how much each serving costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TweetyandChester Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Cindylou I could be able to help you out with some salad ideas. Back in SA we used to have a braai with all our friends at our house a week before Christmas. I have an electronic recipe book "101 Resepte vir Kersfees" where I used to dig for some ideas. PM me your e-mail adres and I can e-mail it to you. Keeping in mind it is SA recipes so not sure how many of them we will be able to make in Aus. My friend used to bring the Bar-One pudding really one of the big favourites. I haven't seen Bar-Ones in Aus now that I come to think of it.... but I also haven't looked for it. Do we ge it here? If anybody want this recipe - let me know. Very sweet and rich though. We are usually not keen on baked puddings during summer so this one comes in handy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Ta Tweety - will PM you. No Barones here, although you can get Mars Bars - My mom's fall back recipe is the "barone choccie sauce" which is to die for over good vanilla ice cream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TweetyandChester Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 The Coles website gives some menu ideas Christmas Menu ideasThere is also a recipe for almond glazed ham - but the "Crispy Parmesan Potatoes" looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 This week I tried gammon in the Weber (mine is definately going in the container). I cooked it for 30 mins per 500g plus 25mins thereafter - indirect coals. The skin turned into crackling. I removed this and most of the fat, scored the rest and poured the glazing over. I returned it to the Weber for about 15 mins. The gammon was devine and so easy to cook. Most of the fat melts away too which is a bonus. Normally the removing of the skin and fat is quite revolting.Previously I have always boiled the gammon in ginger bear and then glazed it with pineapple rings and cherries. This is also nice but the Weber is a breeze.Apricot glaze:15ml mustard30ml vinegar15ml oil250ml Apricot jamApple juice Cranberry and Port glaze is wonderful but this I buy premade from Woolies (in SA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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