Can I Use A Cooked Ham To Make Ham in Coca-Cola? Can I Substitute Treacle?

Asked by cut0001. Answered on 14th December 2011

Full question

I can't find a raw gammon ham where I live (Victoria, Australia) so although I would really like to try your Ham in Coca Cola recipe (How To Eat, p325) at Christmas I don't think I can get the right ingredient. Is it possible instead to boil an already cooked ham in the cola? Thank you for your time.

What can I substitute for the treacle in the Ham in coca cola recipe? Buddigirl

Ham in Coca Cola

By Nigella

Our answer

If you can only find a fully cooked ham then we do not suggest boiling the ham again in the cola as it will very much overcook the meat. Also some cooked hams come whole but "spiral sliced" and this would cause the cola to penetrate into the centre of the ham, making it too sweet. Instead heat the ham in the oven following the supplier's instructions - if possible loosely cover the ham with foil and add about 1¼ cm/½ inch cola to the bottom of the pan and baste the ham with the cola every 30 minutes while it reheats. Make the glaze from the recipe, using 2 tablespoons of regular cola from a can or bottle, and glaze and finish the ham following the recipe. However we undertand that there are a couple of suppliers in Australia who can provide a gammon ham (please see details below).

In the US it is also quite difficult to get uncooked cured hams. Generally they are the Smithfield or Country Ham type. Unfortunately these can be quite salty so will need to be soaked in cold water for 24 to 48 hours before cooking, changing the water every 8 hours, before cooking.

You can substitute molasses for the treacle in the recipe.

Australia - gammon:

The Wursthutte butchery in Malvern, Victoria, Australia do all there own pickling and smoking and can provide gammon.Contact The Wursthutte 187 Glenferrie Road Malvern Vic 3144 Ph: 9509 3359 Fax 9576 1926 Email: admin@wursthutte.com.au