"Fruitiest of Fruitcakes" wrote in message
news.com...

> The problem we have in the UK with those vac packed hams, is that the meat
> is
> impregnated with various chemicals (not just salt) in order for it to soak
> up
> as much water as possible. Therefore its weight will increase and a
> certain
> percentage of what we pay for is simply water.
>
> This puts me off buying anything in those vacuum packs. In fact, I now
> only
> buy meat from an organic farmer who uses overnight delivery. His meats
> arrive
> in butchers paper, but with a couple of dry ice coolpacks and insulated
> inside a cardboard box with rough lambswool.
>
> ==
>
> I always buy a big chunk of gammon and cook it. I then slice it up and
> pack
> in small quantities for the freezer.

I tend to do that with joints of other meat. I buy the largest cuts of boned
shoulder of pork and lamb I can find, plus a big rolled flank of beef and
then just do as you do. Slice them up and freeze them.

When there are only two of you, you dont need to cook a great deal of meat
at once.

Same here ) But I am usually cooking two different meals LOL

I can usually cut most roasting joints into 4 or 5 pieces, which lasts us
for
weeks.

The farm also sell half chickens, which is enough for us over a weekend and
any left over gets curried the next day.

> I am not paying good money for the
> chemicals in those vacuum packs!
>
> I do it with various other meats too. D. prefers it but it doesn't stop
> him
> liking spam. And no, I won't be trying to make my own<g>

Yes, it is strange. I make all the fuss over organic meat and then buy cans
of spam and corned beef because I like them fried.

I made him a Corned Beef hash today. Not sure about tomorrow, it
depends what he fancies!

At Christmas I tend to roast ham on 24th and turkey on 25th. The left over
ham, and some of the turkey, is cubed up and cooked in turkey stock, then I
make pastry and put the meat into various sized pies and freeze those for
eating later in the new year.


Aye For Christmas he has asked for turkey breasts. He will
rotisserie the chicken. It is the only cooking he does so I let him get on
with it I don't like turkey much. So I get chicken and of course I do
all the usual sides

It is odd how we have different tastes. Not that it matters, I enjoy
cooking anything he likes anyway <g>