A delicious boiled ham recipe that falls apart and melts in your mouth. Perfect for special occasions and feeding a crowd of guests!
Boiled ham is our families favorite way to eat ham. One because it tastes damn good, but also because its as easy as filling a pot with water, adding some seasonings, a few vegetables and walking away. The simplicity makes it an awesome dish to feed a crowd of people, and the taste makes it the perfect choice for special occasions.
Boiled ham dinner with scalloped potatoes is one of Kevin’s favorite meals so I like to make it for him once in a while, but I usually do this when we are having guests as well, just because its so good, everyone loves it, and its such an easy meal! I also get a ton of leftovers from this boiled ham so it makes lunches easy and delicious for Kevin and I over the next few days. I usually pick a big ass ham regardless of how many people were having over just to make sure I have leftovers.
A meal that’s easy for entertaining but also makes my life easier during the week as well is a win win!
This boiled ham recipe always comes out so dang juicy and tender when its done. It pretty much just falls apart. You don’t need any fancy sauce to go with this and we often eat it with plain old mustard, but honey mustard, or apple sauce or apple compote would be yummy too.
I always make this boiled ham recipe with water because broth can get too salty, but you can use any liquid you choose. I like it sometimes with Apple Juice or Apple Cider. You could use Orange Juice… Or a mix… Whatever you feel like.
Don’t forget to save the bone. Once you get the meat off, throw it in a freezer bag and into the freezer. Then later on, make split pea soup or some other ham soup with it. It will make your soup so much better than ordinary broth!
Tools to Make this Boiled Ham even Easier
- Kick Ass Stock Pot – this monster stock pot is awesome quality and will end up being your go-to for these boiled hams as well as soups
- Slightly Smaller Enameled Stock Pot – a little smaller, but way prettier and cheaper. Will do the trick nicely!
- Tongs – a necessity for getting your boiled ham out of the pot
Fall Apart Boiled Ham
A delicious boiled ham recipe that falls apart and melts in your mouth. Perfect for special occasions and feeding a crowd of guests!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs bone in shoulder ham or bigger if you can fit it in your pot
- 2 large onions cut into quarters
- 3 sticks celery chopped in quarters
- 2 large apples cut in quarters
- 5 - 8 cloves garlic smashed but not peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- a few peppercorns
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
Rinse the ham well and put it in a big pot. Big enough so that all or at least most of it can be covered by the liquid. Throw in all the other ingredients into the pot and fill with the liquid until the ham is covered or almost covered. Water or whatever liquid you choose.
Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat so its simmering. Let it simmer for 3 - 4 hours or till you cant stand to smell the goodness anymore.
Pull the Ham out of the pot, pull it apart, cut the fat and skin off and slice or pull it into pieces.
- Serve it up and watch the ham melt in your mouth! So good!
I bought a 6 lb already smoked shoulder cut. Is that the right ham to use? Cooked?
Yup, a smoked shoulder will work. It should have the bone in.
Can you do this to already cooked ham to get meat off bone and tender for a casserole?
Ya absolutely.
Try it with cabbage mixed with onion. Delish.