Ginger Beer Glazed Gammon Recipe

When Sunday lunches call for something extra special or the festive season arrives in South Africa, a glazed gammon takes centre stage on the dining table. This recipe draws inspiration from traditional homemade ginger beer, infusing the pork with fiery ginger, cinnamon, and citrus notes as it roasts to sticky perfection.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 1 boneless gammon roast, approximately 2.5 kg
• 500 ml traditional ginger beer
• 100 ml sticky apricot jam
• 50 ml brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• A handful of whole cloves for studding the fat

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place the gammon in a large pot, cover it with water, add half the orange slices and one cinnamon stick, then bring to a gentle boil on the stove. Simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
2. Carefully remove the gammon from the water and let it rest for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle safely. Keep children and pets well away from the hot pot and stove during this process.
3. Using a sharp knife, gently remove the tough outer skin of the gammon, leaving behind a thin, even layer of white fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat.
4. Push a whole clove into the centre of each diamond intersection across the top of the fat. Place the prepared gammon into a deep roasting pan.
5. In a small saucepan, combine the ginger beer, apricot jam, brown sugar, mustard, grated ginger, remaining cinnamon stick, and remaining orange slices. Simmer the mixture over medium heat for 15 minutes until it reduces into a glossy, fragrant glaze.
6. Pour half of the warm ginger beer glaze generously over the scored gammon, ensuring it drips into the diamond cuts.
7. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes, basting the gammon with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes until the fat turns deeply golden, sticky, and caramelised. Ensure the pork is cooked right through to an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius.
8. Remove the gammon from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving thick slices to serve to your guests.

Tips

For the best flavour, look for a traditionally brewed ginger beer that has a strong, spicy bite rather than a super sweet commercial cooldrink. Keep a close eye on the glaze during the final ten minutes of baking, as the high sugar content can burn quickly if the oven is too hot.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm slices of the ginger beer glazed gammon alongside roasted baby potatoes, a fresh garden salad, and extra gravy spooned straight from the roasting pan. It also tastes exceptionally delicious served cold the next day on buttered bread with a dollop of yellow mustard.