Deli Ham Recipe ( Sandwich Ham)

Deli ham recipe

We’ve recently started making our own homemade sandwich ham rather than buying packets of sliced ham from the supermarket, and I honestly don’t think we’ll be going back.

The main reason was cost. Those little packets don’t go very far when you’re regularly making sandwiches and packed lunches. Buying a whole ham joint and cooking it ourselves gives us far more sandwich meat for our money, and I think the quality is better too.

It’s also incredibly simple. I simply season a ham joint with mustard, a little sugar and plenty of black pepper, cook it slowly, then chill it overnight and slice it thinly.

The result is a big batch of homemade sandwich meat that I can keep in the fridge and portion for the freezer.

How to Make Homemade Sandwich Ham

I use a ham from Lidl or Aldi. For a joint of around 1.3kg, you’ll need:

• 1.3kg ham joint
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• Black pepper

Take the ham out of the fridge while you prepare everything else.

Rub the mustard over the outside of the ham, then sprinkle over the sugar and season well with black pepper.

Cover with foil and roast at 150°C / 300°F until thoroughly cooked.

I use a meat thermometer rather than relying purely on cooking time. Current Food Standards Agency guidance says the centre of food should reach 70°C for 2 minutes, or an equivalent safe time and temperature combination. 

Once cooked, allow the meat to rest before cooling and refrigerating.

The Trick to Thin Sandwich Slices

Don’t try to slice your homemade ham while it’s still warm.

Once completely chilled, the meat becomes much firmer and is considerably easier to slice thinly. I usually cook mine ahead, refrigerate it over night and slice it when cold.

It’s a very simple bit of batch cooking, but it gives you proper slices of meat ready for sandwiches, toasties and packed lunches.

Can You Freeze Homemade Sandwich Ham?

Yes, and this is one of the main reasons I make it.

Once cooked and chilled, cut the ham into thin slices and separate them with pieces of greaseproof paper. Portion the slices into the quantities your household normally uses before freezing.

The Food Standards Agency advises cooling cooked food quickly and getting it into the fridge or freezer within one to two hours. Refrigerated leftovers should be eaten within 48 hours or frozen. 

Defrost your sandwich ham safely in the fridge rather than on the kitchen worktop. 

Sandwich Ham ( Deli Ham)

Homemade deli meat for sandwiches. Perfect for packed lunch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 20

Course: Lunch

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 1.3 kg ham
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2 tbsp sugar
• black pepper to taste

Equipment

• Dutch oven If you don't have one, find a way to roast the ham tightly covered so that no steam gets out of the oven dish.
• Meat slicer If you don't have one, use a sharp knife when the ham is very cold from the fridge.

Method

 

1. Remove the ham from the fridge while preparing the rest of the ingredients
2. Rub the mustard over the ham
3. Sprinkle the sugar on the mustard
4. Season generously with black pepper
5. Place the ham in the oven dish and cover with the lid
6. Roast at 150℃ Fan Oven for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours ( make sure to check the final temperature)
7. Allow to rest over night wrapped in tinfoil
8. Slice the next day when cold from the fridge