If you want to know how to boil a gammon joint properly — and how long to boil gammon joint per kg without guessing — this is the butcher’s method. Boiling (really a gentle simmer) is the old-school British way to cook a cured pork joint: soft slices, juicy centre, and a ready blank for a sticky glaze. Boneless Gammon Joint 1kg is our everyday 1kg boneless joint; Gammon Steak 2x 8oz is the quick midweek alternative when you do not need a whole joint. Shop both in gammon.
Skip the middle man when you buy the joint: we pack it in Cornwall for chilled UK delivery, so you are cooking a proper butcher’s gammon, not a mystery supermarket shrink-wrap. The boil method below is written for boneless joints of the sort we sell — times scale with weight, and a cheap probe thermometer beats any kitchen timer.
How to boil a gammon joint (step by step)
Take the joint out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking so it is not fridge-cold in the middle. If you know the cure is salty for your taste, soak it in a large bowl of cold water for an hour or two, then drain. Place the joint in a deep pan and cover with cold water by a couple of centimetres. Add a bay leaf, a few peppercorns, a peeled onion halved, and a carrot if you have them — they perfume the liquor without turning it into a stew. Bring the pan slowly up to the boil, then immediately turn down to a gentle simmer. Skim any grey foam that rises in the first ten minutes. Keep the water just murmuring; a violent boil will toughen the outside.
As a working rule for how long to boil gammon joint per kg, allow about 20 minutes per 500g (roughly 40 minutes per kg) from the moment it returns to a simmer, then start probing. A 1kg boneless joint is often ready in 40–50 minutes; a 1.5kg joint nearer 60–70 minutes. Probe the thickest centre — you want about 68–71°C. Lift the joint onto a board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 10–15 minutes. Carryover heat finishes the cook while the juices settle, so carving is clean rather than watery.
Boiling times per kg (guide table)
Use this table as a starting point for boneless gammon simmered gently in a covered pan. Always confirm with a probe in the centre. Bone-in joints need a little longer near the bone.
| Joint weight | Simmer time (guide) | Target centre temp |
|---|---|---|
| 750g | 30–35 minutes | 68–71°C |
| 1kg | 40–50 minutes | 68–71°C |
| 1.5kg | 60–70 minutes | 68–71°C |
| 2kg | 80–90 minutes | 68–71°C |
Top up with hot water from the kettle if the joint sits proud of the liquid mid-cook. Do not add salt to the pan — the cure already carries plenty. If the liquor tastes fiercely salty when you sample a spoonful, tip half away and refill with fresh hot water once, then continue simmering.
Optional honey-mustard glaze after boiling
Boiled gammon is excellent plain with parsley sauce or mustard, but most Sunday tables want a sticky top. After resting, snip off any string, peel the rind if it is still on, and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Mix two tablespoons of honey with a tablespoon of English or Dijon mustard (apricot jam works too). Brush thickly, set the joint in a roasting tin, and roast at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 15–20 minutes until the glaze bubbles and browns at the edges. Rest another five minutes before carving into thin slices across the grain.
Shop Boneless Gammon Joint 1kg
What to serve with boiled gammon
Classic plate: boiled or mash potatoes, cabbage or greens, and parsley sauce or a sharp English mustard. Leftover cold slices are better than most supermarket ham — stack them in sandwiches with piccalilli, fold into a pie, or dice into a pea risotto. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and eat within two to three days; freeze carved slices interleaved with baking paper if you cooked a joint bigger than one meal.
For the full set of methods (oven roast, slow cooker, air fryer steaks), start with How to Cook a Gammon Joint and How to Cook a Gammon Joint in the Oven. Steak night instead of a joint? See How to Cook Gammon Steaks.
Butcher’s tips for a juicy boiled gammon
Start in cold water so the joint heats evenly. Never let it gallop — a simmer you can count as lazy bubbles is enough. Probe early rather than late; an overcooked gammon dries at the edges even if the middle looks fine. Rest under foil, not sealed tight in a plastic bag, so steam does not sog the fat you may want to glaze. Save a mug of the cooking liquor for parsley sauce or to moisten leftover slices when you reheat gently in a pan — never blast leftover gammon dry in a microwave on full power.
Buy the joint once, cook it once, and you will know your pan’s personality: jot the minutes that hit 70°C on the fridge door for next time. That is how every good butcher’s kitchen actually works — not magic, just a probe and an honest simmer.
FAQ
How long do you boil a gammon joint per kg?
As a home-kitchen guide, simmer a boneless gammon joint for about 20 minutes per 500g (roughly 40 minutes per kg), then check the centre with a probe. A 1kg joint is often done in around 40–50 minutes once the water is back to a gentle simmer; bigger joints need more time. Always finish by temperature (68–71°C in the thickest part) rather than the clock alone.
Do you need to soak a gammon joint before boiling?
Only if it tastes too salty for you. Modern British packs are often mild enough to cook straight from the fridge. If you prefer it milder, soak in cold water for 1–2 hours (or overnight for a very salty joint), then rinse and start the simmer with fresh water.
Should the water boil hard or simmer?
Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Hard boiling toughens the outside and can split the joint. Skim any foam in the first ten minutes, then leave the lid slightly ajar so it does not thrash about.
Can you glaze a boiled gammon afterwards?
Yes — that is the classic British finish. Lift the joint, rest it briefly, peel or score the fat, brush with honey and mustard (or apricot jam), then blast in a hot oven at about 200°C for 15–20 minutes until sticky and golden.
Is boiled gammon the same as ham?
Gammon is the cured raw joint; once cooked it is served as ham. Boiling (or simmering) is simply one cook method — oven roast and slow cooker are the others. See our full method guide for oven and air fryer options.