What to serve with gammon Gammon Joint - A Meat Like No Other!
Gammon Joint is not just limited to special occasions such as Christmas or Easter, this incredibly tender meat is a perfect substitute for a roast. With a variety of ways to cook and serve it, Gammon is sure to impress everyone with its scrumptiousness!
No other meat will taste as good as Gammon once you learn to cook it perfectly. Moreover, there are a lot of cooking variations of this sumptuous and delicious meat that you can choose from according to your liking.
Here’s a complete guide to Gammon to help you learn what type of meat it is, what to serve with Gammon joint, and the dishes/ flavours that go with this meat. So keep up with this guide to turn your cooking GAMM-ON!
About Gammon Joint
Gammon is the cured and dried leg of a pig that people preserve so they can use it as foodstuff. The French word “gaminon”, which means ham, is from which the name “gammon” originates.
We refer to Gammon joint as “ham” in English. In England, this form of meat is popular and typically served warm or cold, but people often eat it cooked.
If you see a Gammon dish on the table, you know it is Christmas, not because you get to devour the mouth-watering meat, but an actual Christmas. This meat is mostly cooked on occasion, which is another reason why the gammon joint is special.
Are Gammon and Ham the Same Thing?
Are Gammon and ham two different names for the same thing? Not really! These two flavourful meat cuts come from the pig’s rear legs.
Ham is basically cooked pig meat, whereas Gammon is meat from the pig’s rear legs that are sold in raw form. To put it simply, Gammon turns into ham when it is cooked.
Can Gammon Be Eaten Uncooked?
Even though in English countries, except for England and Ireland, Gammon and Ham are used as interchangeable terms, it is important to distinguish both. Since Gammon is pre-cooked meat, we would not recommend eating it uncooked.
However, if you like it raw, then it is your choice; eat it in whatever form you prefer. This meat is easily accessible in supermarkets, and if confused, you can always ask your local store guide to identify whether the meat you buy is Gammon or ham.
What to serve with Gammon Joint?
People often wonder what sides to add and serve with Gammon or what dishes will complement the texture and flavour of this tasty meat. The secret to making your gammon joint taste divine is choosing the right add-ons and dishes to go with it.
You can make sure that your gammon dish will be a hit at the table by being a little creative with the sides’ selection. If you cannot decide on what to serve with Gammon, this guide has all the answers you need!
5 Side Dishes That Perfectly Complement Gammon Joint
Here’s a list of some of the side dishes that perfectly complement Gammon:
Roasted potatoes with a coating of mustard sauce
To take your cooking game to the next level, try serving your gammon dish with roasted potatoes, having a layer of mustard sauce on top. The addition of mustard will give a touch of exquisiteness to your dish.
Not only are roasted potatoes easy to cook, but they also take less cooking time compared to most side dishes. You can put them in the oven with your Gammon to save time and the mess made during cooking.
Baked Cheese Macaroni
One of the most popular side dishes and a staple of American cuisine is baked cheese macaroni, popularly known as Macaroni and Cheese. Try making this dish with Gammon if you want to hold the flavours in your gammon joint together with a cheese pull!
Garlic powder and white pepper are two elements that will make your macaroni tastier. It is another side dish that complements the gammon joint.
Cauliflower Cheese
When you talk about a side dish that goes well with about any meal that comes to mind, we hear “Cauliflower Cheese.” However, it can easily be given the “Universal Side Dish” title since it complements any and every main dish.
However, there is no reason to doubt how delicious it is to pair some savoury, smoky cuts of Gammon with a bowl of hot, bubbling, creamy cauliflower cheese. It is comfort cuisine at its finest and the type of food that is perfect when you need a little cheering up.
Pineapple Gravy
With pineapple gravy, you can add a sour twist to your standard gammon meal and make it all the more delicious! Additionally, if you are a sweet & sour kind of person, you can make your gammon honey-glazed.
Potato Salad
Everyone enjoys mashed potatoes, so why not give the traditional side dish a spicy makeover? Cook fresh potatoes and season with a curry sauce and lime juice concoction to prepare a simple potato salad dish.
For additional flavour and texture, stir in finely chopped red onion and garlic. Add freshly chopped coriander on top, and voila!
What Flavours Go with Gammon?
Gammon benefits from a multitude of spices, especially those of a sweet, warming tendency like cloves or nutmeg. Moreover, the Gammon joint has a strong and highly salty flavour.
While herbs like rosemary and bay leaf enhance the savoury qualities, white and brown sugars give a complimentary sweetness against the salty Gammon. To generate a distinctive taste profile and a gammon dish with a unique flavour, spices can be used alone or in combination.
Flavour in terms of Powdered Spices
When added to Gammon, seasonings provide a pleasant and sharp flavour that sends your taste buds on a flavourful ride. The warm spices are sweet and aromatic.
Pimento
Contradicting its name, Allspice or Pimento is a distinct spice, although the taste feels like a blend of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Try combining brown sugar and ground pimento to make an easy and quick spice mixture.
Cloves
Cloves add a strong warmth with a cinnamon-like sweetness and mild spiciness. Put full cloves into the ham’s skin to decorate it, or use them in powder form to make a spice mixture.
Cinnamon
When used to flavour gammon, cinnamon’s sweetness and spiciness create tastes that are delicate yet rich and well-balanced. Mix cinnamon powder with some honey to make a sweet and sour glaze for Gammon.
Nutmeg
With tinges of sweetness and sourness, nutmeg has quite a strong aroma. Use granulated nutmeg in moderation, alone or combined with other spices, because a small amount is enough for a burst of flavour.
Flavours in terms of Herbs
The salty, savoury flavour of gammon joint pairs wonderfully with these earthy herbs:
- Parsley – Because it has a slight bitterness, parsley gives savoury foods a lovely balance. You can use either use fresh parsley or dried one.
- Thyme – It is a strong, earthy herb that tastes fantastic, whether combined with other herbs or used alone in a gammon herb rub.
- Bay leaf – Bay leaves have quite a distinctive, mentholated woody taste. With this plant, fewer is more, so crush one or two bay leaves and add them to a spice blend together with other seasonings and aromatic herbs.
- Sage – Sage gives Gammon a fresh herbal flavour and a piney flavour with tinges of lemon.
Flavours in terms of Sugars
Although brown sugar offers greater richness with a syrup-like taste, both white and brown sugar may be used to complement the salty gammon meat.
Garlic and onion powder provide a flavourful accompaniment to Gammon without overpowering the salty taste. Mix these spices with brown or white sugar to make a sweet yet savoury spice rub.
What to serve with Gammon Joint? - Sauce Variations
Choosing the right sauce to serve with your Gammon is crucial as it can either turn your dish into something extraordinary or completely ruin it. We have compiled a list to give you a run-down of the sauces that go perfectly with this type of meat. Have a look…
Sauces to Serve with Gammon
Depending on the side dish, Gammon is frequently served with a sugary or spicy sauce.
A sweet sauce like pineapple goes nicely with Gammon having a side dish of fruit and vegetables. However, a salty or spicy sauce is preferable if you are using roasted potatoes and salad as a side dish.
Dijon mustard or Moutarde de Dijon
People wonder why this creamy sauce is placed in jars when it is so simple to prepare. Once you try it out with Gammon, this will become your new go-to recipe for regular meals and special occasions!
In addition, just add some diced shallot, vinegar, and some white wine for a fancy touch.
Apple Butter Spread
Sounds Strange, right? We are all familiar with peanut butter, but not many know of a secret spread that makes your toasts taste heavenly. This creamy, sweet spread tastes good when eaten with a crispy toast and enhances your gammon entrée.
For this one, utilising apple cider vinegar in place of ordinary vinegar will significantly improve the flavour of your gammon joint dish.
Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Add a glaze of balsamic vinegar to boost your Gammon’s taste. It will provide that particular touch without spoiling the delicious meat below!
Barbecue Sauce
If you wish to add something different to your Gammon that is sure to please your guests, barbecue sauce is your safest option. The blend of sweetness and smokiness with your meat will make you fall in love with gammon joints all over again!
Béarnaise sauce
Béarnaise is often thought of as a traditional sauce used with steaks, but it tastes great on Gammon as well. Because of the acidic flavour’s ability to balance off the rich flavour of the meat, it is much more delectable than usual.
Tartar sauce
Given its creamy consistency and tart flavour, the tartar sauce is a fantastic addition to meat and fish dishes. However, regardless of being served with shellfish, this traditional meal is improved when presented with Gammon.
Tartar sauce will be a treat for the guests whether you prepare it yourself or purchase it from the supermarket.
Smoked salmon mayo
Smoked salmon mayo is the simplest, tried and tested choice to enhance your Gammon’s flavour tenfold if you have made it extra salty.
Not only is it a classic and go-to sauce for dishes made during occasions, but the recipe to prepare this sauce is also quick and easy. So you can always rely on this option if you are on a time crunch and cannot decide what to serve with your Gammon.
Charmoula sauce
Charmoula sauce originated from North America and can spice up your dish if you’re looking for something a bit more unusual to serve with the Gammon.
However, if you want to be a bit more daring, top it with some chickpeas; your family will love its added fullness to the dish.
Cranberry sauce
Because it gives just the right amount of flavour without being too overwhelming, the sweet-and-sour taste of cranberries is ideal for the gammon joint. Cranberries are also healthy because they have large amounts of antioxidants.
Horseradish sauce
Found either in plain or prepared form, the horseradish sauce is strong in flavour and enhances the taste of Gammon. Since you can control the amount of vinegar to be added to the sauce, plain horseradish is preferred for preparing this recipe.
End Note
By now, you would have gotten an idea about what to serve with Gammon and what textures or flavours make your Gammon joint meal presentable and delicious.
You can do many other sauce variations and flavour experiments to see whether the add-ons make your meal better or spoil it. This guide is informative, especially for new chefs and those who like to experiment with spices and stuff while cooking.
You can cook your Gammon in multiple ways, with multiple side dishes depending on how luxurious you want to make your gammon experience to be!
Andy
Ever since I started cooking I’ve been fascinated by how different people’s techniques are and how they best utilise the ingredients around them. Even the person living next door will have their own unique way of frying an egg or cooking a salmon fillet.
This fascination led me on a journey across the globe to discover the countless practices and traditions the world of cooking has to offer. I thought you’d enjoy and find value in sharing that journey with me so I created Cooked Best!