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What the heck is ... serrano ham?
 Consider
the lowly pig -- Sus scrofa. Over the centuries, these curious creatures
have been the butt of jokes and religious taboos, looked down upon by the
upper classes, and held up as caricatures of bad eating manners and less
than scrupulous personal hygiene. Not so in Spain! Along with cheese and
maybe olives, Jamón [hah-moan] (“ham” in Spanish) is
perhaps the quintessential Spanish food. It is served everywhere in almost
every part of Spain, and is a staple of tapas bars in every city. It is
not at all uncommon for Spanish people to purchase whole jamónes
to keep at home to slice as they need it. The pig's long and honored history
in Spain is very evident to anyone who has traveled there and witnessed
the near fanatical devotion of Spaniards to their beloved Jamónes,
chorizo, sausages, and roast suckling pig. Jamón serrano –
“mountain ham” is more than a delicacy in Spain; it is a normal
part of every family’s life. Every tapas bar and neighborhood café
has their own hams. During the Holiday Sea son
there are literally hundreds of them hanging from the rafters of major food
stores. The Spaniards actually have an “el Museo del Jamón”
(the Museum of Ham), a delicatessen in the old part of Madrid where hundreds
of hams are suspended from the ceiling, many costing over $1000 [as in “thousand”]
each. It has been speculated that el Museo del Jamón may be an accurate
depiction of Spanish heaven. Jamón Serrano is one of the glories
of Spanish cuisine and artisanal spirit. Jamón Ibéricos de
Bellota, the Serrano ham’s ultimate expression, is generally considered
to be the finest ham on the face of the earth! Spanish-style jamón
differs from the Italian prosciutto of Parma or a French jambon. Jamón
is longer aged, it is dryer, its flavor much bolder and its texture is firmer.
There is nothing produced in the US that is even remotely equivalent to
a Spanish jamón. The Spanish ham is one of the Spain’s most
valued culinary treasures, a symbol of centuries of history and tradition.
To the rest of the world, it is simply one of the richest gourmet delicacies
available today.
Serrano ham shows up from time to time on the Tapino menu as little slices,
tidbits, and wrappings around little tapa style snacks. The current incarnation
is as thin slices on Tapino’s charcutière plate. Imagine a
festive, cordial, bright atmosphere among friends on a radiant day... That
is what Serrano ham represents in Spain. It is synonymous with happiness,
conviviality and good food. Now, imagine a few thin slices of this magical
pork served up at Tapino, along with some Spanish chorizo, Italian coppa
salami and French saucisson. Imagine convulsions of joy, angels laughing,
your taste buds moaning with ecstasy. Imagine orgasmic gluttony and profoundly
transcendent rapture. Well… maybe that’s a little over the top.
But, it really is damn good stuff.
It is difficult to fully appreciate all that Spanish ham has to offer until
you understand why the USDA Swine Police are so reluctant to let them into
the country, and the intricate process that goes into producing Jam ón
Serrano’s unique aroma and flavor.
In the Spanish style, Jamón is the whole rear-leg (including hoof)
of a pig that is briefly cured in salt in a 2,000 year old tradition. Since
the time of the Caesars, jamónes have been made using simply the
finest quality swine, sea salt, fresh mountain air and time. No spices,
no nitrates, no smoke, no preservatives, no sugar, no pumping it up with
water, no nothing! It is a purely natural product and is served in very
thin slices, uncooked, since the salt-curing process has perfectly preserved
the meat. The air-drying process removes enough of the water that bacteria
can no longer survive.
There are two basic Spanish Jamónes, “Jamón Serrano”
and “Jamón Ibérico”. The most common and least
costly is the Jamón Serrano. There are almost 2,000 producers of
Serrano ham in Spain. The mountain or Serrano ham is made from several different
breeds of white pigs, such as Duroc, Landrace or Large White. They are fed
mainly cereal grains and the hams are air cured for 7 to 16 months.
The other type, Jamón Ibérico, represents about 10% of total
production and is made only from the Iberian pig. The breeding of the Iberian
pig is restricted to an area in Southwestern Spain and Southeastern Portugal.
Although fed some cereals, these pigs also roam the countryside and feed  on
acorns. The curing process lasts from 14 to 36 months.
Of the jamones in Spain, the most famous is a sub-set of the Iberico hams
called "Iberico de Bellota" from the southwestern provinces of
Huelva and Extremadura. These are made only from the indigenous black-footed
(pata negra) Iberian pigs which are allowed to graze freely in the fall
and early winter months on the sweet wild acorns (bellota) on special large
tracts of Encinas, Cork Oak, and Holm Oak groves known as "dehesas".
The sweet acorns are their final diet. Only 3% of all jamónes in
Spain are of this special breed and diet. They are aged up to 5 years and
fetch up to $1500 US per ham.
Spanish Jamón in no way resembles the famed Smithfield-style hams
from Virginia or other "country-style" hams of t he
mid-Atlantic region of the US. American country hams are very salty as a
result of a longer salt curing time and often, besides salt, there are peppers
or sugar added to the cure. Some are smoked with a variety of hardwoods.
They are often aged between 4-9 months. Before you can eat them they must
be soaked in water to remove the heavy salt concentration. They are then
fried as 1/8" slices or simmered or baked whole. The only similarity
among these hams is that they are all sliced thin to eat because of their
intense flavors. But even in the slicing there is a difference. While most
Americans slice ham vertically or diagonally across the grain, downward
to the bone, the Europeans slice jamon parallel to the bone. This reveals
more flavorful bands of sweet fat and thus, more flavor.
Unfortunately, to get a “truly authentic” serrano ham, you would
have to go to Spain (or any other country in Europe where they are freely
imported). It is illegal to import traditional Spanish jamónes into
the United States. Why? you ask. … It seems that the USDA’s
Pork Police are charged with keeping this insidiously dangerous product
out of America because it might possibly carry exotic swine diseases that
would decimate the American pork industry. More likely, the US Pork producers
are big campaign contributors to the politicians that make the laws about
such stuff to protect local monopolies on pork products and to keep people
from finding out what real ham tastes like! The basic argument from the
ham-banning lobby is that we can’t trust the Spanish to raise clean
and healthy pigs and to butcher them in a clean facility. But!, you ask,
If that’s true, where do the “Serrano hams” come from
that we can buy here in the USA? Ah-ha! There is always a loophole somewhere!
The “serrano hams” that are available in the US are cured in
Spain, just like their regular Spanish serrano hams. But, the pigs that
they are made from are ra ised
in Denmark and also slaughtered there. After the pigs are butchered in Denmark,
the raw hams are frozen and shipped to Spain where they are thawed and made
into hams for export only to the United States. (Everybody else in the world
gets the “real” Spanish serrano hams.) Fortunately for us wimpy
Americans, our government protects us from this evil foreign alien food.
– did I mention that we have 12 million illegal aliens in the US?
So, even if it is not authentic, we can at least get a close approximation
of serrano ham here in America. Not so for that finest 3% of Spanish hams
called “Jamones Ibéricos de Bellota”. These hams, recognized
by almost everyone as being the finest hams in the world are still illegal
in the United states. Why? The Ibérico hams are made only from indigenous
pata negra (black footed) pigs (evil!!) that are raised only in Southwestern
Spain (even more evil!!). Also, to be allowed the name, “Jamón
Iberico de Bellota”, the pigs must be raised and slaughtered only in Spain (the most evil!!!) after feeding on acorns
for most of their adult lives. That leaves us out. Too bad! I have been
to Spain, and I have eaten authentic Iberico bellota ham. I want to go back!
Like Beluga caviar or Kobe beef, “Jamón Iberico de Bellota”
is the ultimate of its kind. But for now, uncooked Spanish pork products
are still forbidden in the United States, although that will be changing
soon. Thankfully, the USDA has discovered that these hams that have nourished
the people of the Iberian Peninsula for at least two thousand years are
not all that evil or dangerous and have eased the regulations for getting
them over here. After all, 40 million Spaniards can't all be wrong. At least
one producer of these succulent hams has received the go-ahead from the
USDA and “real” Iberico Jamónes will be available in
the US this winter. They may be followed by “Jamón Iberico
de Bellota”, maybe as early as the summer of 2008. The Spaniards have
built a whole new hog quarantine / inspection facility and processing plant
(with resident on-site American USDA inspectors) to win approval.
 As for the pigs themselves, with ninety species and more than two-hundred
hog varieties, it is important to distinguish the two main species that
are used in the production of Spanish hams.
The more common Serrano ham, from white pigs (¨Cerdo Blanco¨), is
created with crosses between the Landrace, Duroc, Large White, and White
Belgium strains. White pigs are raised in sheds found in the mountains of
northwestern Spain, allowed almost no exercise, and are fed natural cereal
grains, not the wild acorn-based diet fed to Iberian pigs. They are slaughtered
earlier than Iberian pigs, at five or six months of age. The drying and
curing processes occur at high altitudes, producing what is known as Serrano
ham (serrano = from the mountains). These hogs produce hams that are generally
leaner and larger than Iberian hams. pink to purplish in color, aromatic,
with yellowish-white,  glossy
fat.
The highest quality hams come from “Iberian” blood line hogs,
which are descendents of the wild boar. They are produced in the southwestern
region of Spain, where they are free to roam the mountain pine and cork-oak
forests, known as ¨dehesas¨ in Spanish. They live off of the acorns
(bellota) dropped by the cork-oak trees . Iberian hogs have long legs, pointy
snouts, and dark skin and hoofs (giving them the Spanish name ¨Pata
Negra¨). This specie is defined by its genetic ability to store large
intramuscular fatty deposits that become part of the muscular mass and create
the white fat that gives Iberian ham its incomparable marbleized texture
and aroma.
Within the category of hams known as Jamón Ibérico, there
are three categories, each of which is based on the feeding p ractices
utilized:
Acorn-fed Ham (Jamón Ibérico
de Bellota): When the pig is still a young suckling-pig, it remains in the
pigsty until the cork-tree and gall-oaks are full of acorns. Then, the pigs
go to the "Montanera", where they are semi-free to roam for the
last six to eight months before being slaughtered. They feed mostly on acorns
during the “fattening” stage in the fall, when the pigs feast
on 15 to 20 pounds of acorns or “bellotas” per day. This allows
them to gain as much as 2 pounds daily, until they about double their body
weight. In addition, the constant exercise they enjoy as they forage is
essential to the final quality of the hams. The pigs are slaughtered when
they weigh about 250 lbs.
Cereal and Acorn-fed Ham (Jamón Ibérico de Recebo o Media Bellota): Hogs are released
in the mountain ranges weighing between 150 and 200 lbs., where they feed
partially on acorns and finish up the fattening period being fed a supplement
of commercial feeds made up mostly of cereal grains. They are slaughtered
when they reach about 250 lbs.
Cereal-fed Ham (Jamón
Ibérico de Pienso): These pigs are not fed acorns at all, but are
fed entirely on autho rized
commercial feeds.
The traditional Spanish dry-cured hams are a source of great pride among
Spaniards. From time immemorial in the mountains of Spain, the Iberian people
have rolled fresh hams in sea salt and hung them from their rafters to cure.
A year to eighteen months later the jamónes are ready to mount on
special stands that are designed so that anyone can stop by, carve a few
paper-thin slices, and enjoy an impromptu snack – perhaps with some
manchego cheese.
What is the appeal? Jamón Serrano is a flavorful, natural ham, cured
in the country air. This extended curing transforms the ham, imparting a
deep flavor and aroma. This lengthy curing also means it is much less fatty
and has a firmer bite than Italian prosciutto. You can serve it sliced paper-thin
with cheese and olives, or use it to flavor your favorite Spanish recipes.
The secret to jamón lies in its curing, recreating the effect of
traditional farmstead techniques. This tradition is kept alive in rural
areas where in early winter, family and friends gather to slaughter their
livestock in preparation for winter months. The hams are placed in sea salt
for a brief period of time – and then they are hung up in the tops
of ventilated barns or sheds. They are allowed to experience the changes
of temperature as the seasons progress. The right time to eat them is when
an experienced ham-master inserts a long splinter of cow bone and whiffs the jamón, like a connoisseur of wine who sniffs the cork.
While still using the secrets of the master ham specialists that have been
passed down through the years, technology now enables modern producers to
create better health and sanitary conditions, more stable and homogenous
production processes, quality controls at critical points... In brief: better
quality.
The climatic conditions that served to cure traditional hams in the mountains
of Spain are reproduced today in modern ham curing facilities (secaderos).
The hams go through the simulated conditions of winter, spring, summer and
fall until they reach their optimum curing level, all without leaving the
processing plant.
Before being slaughtered, which usually occurs in the winter season, the
hog must rest for a minimum period of 24 hours to allow it to relax  and
recover from the stress of shipping and disturbance of its normal routine.
This reduces the levels of stress hormones and helps to regulate the pH
level of the meat. Once the pig has been slaughtered, the hind legs are
removed and scraped of their hair, trimmed, cleaned, stacked in a drying
shed, and completely buried in sea salt. The length of this salt immersion
stage depends on the ham’s weight: about one day for each pound, which
usually works out to be 15-30 days. Just as in the days of old in the mountains,
curing starts at very low temperatures (32 to 38 deg. F) and at a very high
level of ambient humidity (85 to 90%). Throughout the production process,
the temperature is gradually increased while the humidity is gradually decreased.
The low initial temperatures in the secadero , high humidity levels, and
adequate salt penetration allow for dehydration to occur gradually and naturally
so that the biochemical transformation of certain fat and protein components
of the ham can take place. Once the salting process is completed, the salt
is washed off and the hams are hung to ¨sweat¨. This period is called
“asentamiento”, a slow process during which the ham loses water
and the salt gets absorbed and spread homogeneously through all parts of
the ham. After 30 to 90 days of “sweating” off excess salt and
water at a temperature between 45º to 50ºF and a relative humidity of 80%, the hams have lost
almost 30% of their weight. When the “summertime” comes to the
secadero, the daily sweating is followed by a cooling of the hams at night
to allow the fat to redistribute itself among the muscle fibers and for
excess fat to liquefy and slowly drip out of the ham. All of the hidden
aromas start to float in the air and the perfumes of the fat layers extend
their delicate fragrance into the lean muscle layers. The hams are then
moved to drying rooms for the slow aging period, which usually lasts between
ten and twelve months – up to five years for the very best hams. During
this time the curing process is completed and the ham changes to a deep
red color and gains the ty pical
aromas of the cured meat. Shade, silence, and stable temperatures and low
humidity levels are what allow the ham’s fat to acquire the perfect
texture and juiciness that provide its characteristic aroma. By the time
this process is complete, the hams will have lost approximately half of
their initial weight.
Most of the hams are ready for sale at this point. Only the very best hams
stay between 8-18 additional months more in “bodegas” for additional
curing and aging, called “añejado”, during which the
ham gains even more taste. Unfortunately you will probably never get the
chance to taste one of these exceptional añejado jamónes.
There are multi-year waiting lists of local well-to-do Spaniards that snap
up all of these rare hams.
How do you know if your getting the “good stuff”? The "serrano
ham" denomination is protected as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (T.S.G.) . The T.S.G. "serrano"
ham is a European Union standard that, since 2000, protects the method of
processing the product, although it does not make reference to a specific
processing area or the origin of the raw material. (Hence, the Danish raised,
Spanish cured hams currently available in the United states can legally
be called “Serrano Ham”, … … but the Spaniards smirk!)
In addition to the EU standards, there is a Spanish Government authorized
trade group, the “Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español”,
that sets legally binding standards for hams bearing their label. These
standards are designed to protect the quality and reputation of their member
producers’ products. The Consorcio’s quality control standards
demand that all certified hams be:
• produced by certified companies
• Spanish raw material
(only Spanish pigs slaughtered in Spain)
• Processed exclusively
in Spain
• Cured a minimum of 9 months
• Minimum 1
cm fat covering. (Fundamental aspect for the ham's texture and aroma).
• have reduced a minimum 34% in relation to the weight of the original
fresh ham
• pass an individual sensorial (taste & aroma) inspection
(piece by piece)
The Consorcio concerns itself with not only quality issues, but also the
hygienic, temperature and humidity conditions, as well as the boning, slicing
and packaging processes of the hams during the different stages of the process.
As of now, 5 regions in Spain have been designated “Denominación
de Origin” or DO’s for Spanish jamónes. These DO provide
additional quality standards for hams from their locations and bearing their
labels.
• Jamón de la Dehesa de Extremadura
•
Jamón de Huelva (including the famous Jabugo ham)
• Jamón
de Teruel
• Jamón de Guijuelo
• Jamón
de Trevélez
The “Denominación de Origin” is a certainly a guarantee
for quality, but it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get a
Bellota jamón, so you’ll still have to watch the label. Neither
does it mean you won’t get a good quality jamón from a region
without Denominación designation. The Valle de los Pedroches (north
of Córdoba) for instance produces excellent Iberico Bellota jamón
for less money!
The Spanish serrano ham that is legally available in the United States bears
none of these labels. From a Spaniards point of view, it would be pretty
ordinary ham; “El Jamón plastico por los Americanos stupi dos”
Most Spanish hams are eaten thinly sliced either by hand as they do in Spain,
or on a mechanical slicer -- and enjoyed as is with an assortment of cheeses,
olives, roasted almonds, marinated peppers, fresh crusty bread, and either
chilled fino sherry, cool wine, or beer. It is also delicious with fresh
fruit -- melons, figs, pears, or even apples.
Serrano hams can also be used as ingredients in other dishes like soups
and salads, and are frequently used to accent fish and seafood dishes. The
point to remember is to keep the actual cooking to a minimum in order to
protect the fragile nature of the ham's flavor. Too much prolonged cooking will prove to be a waste of good ham. Rather, add it to dishes at the end,
such as stews or soups, or to foods that are cooked relatively quickly like
pizza, scrambled eggs, or pasta sauce. Another good use for the hams in
cooking is to either wrap or stuff fish, such as trout with it. For some
excellent appetizers, try wrapping scallops or whole dates with thin slices
of serrano ham, securing them with toothpicks, and then either grilling
or broiling them quickly.
If you ever get the chance to go to Spain and nibble on slivers of authentic,
traditional Jamón Ibérico de Bellota before dinner as part
of a Tapas, it will be a revelation. If you can’t get to Spain, come
by Tapino for dinner, and we will show you the next best thing available
in the US. We hope it keeps you coming back for more until maybe sometime
in the future we can get the real thing!. (and if you do go to Spain, see
if you can slip a couple of haunches of “the good stuff” past
the USDA Pork Police, and bring them back to us. There might be a free bottle
of wine in it for you! Or, maybe even $50-$75 per pound! – but, if
you get caught … we never heard of you.)
For comparison, the following is a random list of some of the better known
of the hundreds of other European and American cured hams: 
Alentejo ham is an Ibérico ham from
Portugal. It is similar to Spanish Ibérico ham, although somewhat
smaller. The breeds are closely related, with the pigs are raised on the
comparable Portuguese dehesa as they are in Spain. The open forest grasslands
with acorn-bearing cork and holm oak trees are critical to their development.
Ammerland ham is a wet-cured, boneless ham from Germany
that has been cold-smoked with beech wood and juniper berries.
Ardennes ham from Bayonne is an air-dried, salt cured,
uncooked ham from Belgium, which is sliced thinly for serving and has
an appearance and flavor that is similar to Italian prosciutto ham. Thicker
cut slices can be pan-fried.
Bigorre ham is made from free-range Gascony black pigs,
an Ibérico breed, which is raised in the Pyrenees Mountains in
France.
Black Forest ham is a moist, boneless German-style ham
made only from the top and bottom round. It is smoked over pine and fir
and coated with beef blood to give it a black exterior. Very lean and
tender, it is fully cooked, weighs 4 to 6 pounds, and is often sliced
thin and used for sandwiches.
Irish ham is produced in Ulster near Belfast. It is pickled
and smoked over peat fires in order to achieve a unique flavor. The Irish
ham is prepared as you would an American country ham – soaking the
remove excessive salt and then cooked.
Jambon cru (raw ham) or Jambon du pays (local ham) is
a generic designation for French hams from Alsace and Vendée. They
weigh in the neighborhood of 15 lb, and some of the Alsatian hams may
be smoked.
Jambon sec (dry cured ham) is a designation for hams
from France that meet a minimum weight and are dry cured for at least
3 months. Hams in this category include hams from the Ardennes, Auvergne,
Bayonne, Laucaune, Najac and Savoie. Jambon sec supérieur denotes
hams such as Bigorre, that are from pigs raised and processed by traditional
methods in France.
Prosciutto di Parma is the true prosciutto, a superior
Italian ham from northern Italy's province of Parma, the same area noted
for Parmesan cheese. The special diet of chestnuts and whey derived from
the cheese-making process that Parma pigs enjoy results in an excellent
quality of meat. Parma hams are seasoned, salt-cured and air-dried but
not smoked. They have a rosy-brown flesh that is firm and dense. Before
dry curing many prosciutto hams are coated with lard and cured for at
least 10 – 12 months, yielding a smooth-textured, slightly salty
ham.
Prosciutto di San Daniele is a guitar-shaped Italian
ham produced in San Daniele, a picturesque village of 8,000 located in
northeastern Italy between the Alps and the Adriatic. Its micro-climate
alternates between dryness and humidity which contributes to the prosciutto’s
salty-sweet flavor and almost creamy texture. It is cured for at least
12 months.
Smithfield Ham has been produced in America since the
Colonial times of the 17th Century, and is defined by legislation. According
to the 1926 Statute passed by the General Assembly of Virginia, “Genuine
Smithfield hams [are those] cut from the carcasses of peanut-fed hogs,
raised in the peanut-belt of the State of Virginia or the State of North
Carolina, and which are cured, treated, smoked, and processed in the town
of Smithfield, in the State of Virginia.” These gourmet hams have
a deep red meat that is dry and pungent. Modern Smithfield hams are not
necessarily peanut fed.
Speck Alto Adige is a distinctive lightly smoked dry
cured ham from Italy which has a unique hybrid of flavors. Its delicate
aroma and defining taste are the result of the incorporation of two distinct
gastronomic preferences in Europe. One is the smoking methods of general
area of the north of Germany. The other is the salting techniques of the
southern Mediterranean regions, such as Spain, Italy and Portugal. The
result is a milder than northern smoked hams, yet stronger and less sweet
than ham produced in southern Europe.
Virginia Hamis a country ham from the United States,
produced in states including Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
The ham is produced from Berkshire black pigs raised mostly on corn. These
pigs have a high proportion of marbling fat, and are cured up to a year.
Some of the best hams are smoked over hardwoods like walnut, oak, maple
or apple. A long salt curing phase necessitated by the local climate makes
the final product very salty – up to three times the salt of a Spanish
Jamón Serrano. Therefore in preparation cooking and serving, it
is soaked for over 24 hours in a bath of pure water and then either roasted
or simmered.
Westphalian ham is gourmet boneless ham produced from
pigs raised on acorns in Germany's Westphalia forest. The ham is cured
before being slowly smoked over beech wood mixed with juniper branches.
The combination of the gourmet diet, curing and smoking results in a dark
brown, very dense ham with a distinctive, light smoky flavor.
York ham is the quintessential English ham. Dry cured
and matured over a period of at least ten weeks, it develops a wonderful
depth of flavor and a firm yet succulent texture. The curing process means
that the York is somewhat drier and saltier than the Wiltshire. This mild-flavored
ham has delicate pink meat which is a favorite in Spanish tapas bars.
In England, it is traditionally served with Madeira sauce.
If by chance, you should ever get the chance to buy a whole, genuine Serrano
ham it will be covered with a moldy rind and usually protected by a breathable,
cloth “ham sock”. The ham can be kept hanging like this in
a cool place for about a year if you don’t need to carve it imediatly.
Once you’ve started cutting your ham, it is best to eat it within
six to eight weeks.
It is important to cover any exposed areas of meat to keep it fresh and
prevent it from drying out. The best way to do this is to keep the strips
of rind and fat that you cut off to start with and re-cover the exposed
meat as you go along. Another method is to smear a little olive oil over
the meat before covering. You can even press plastic food wrap tightly
onto the cut surfaces for a few days.
Always store and serve your ham at room temperature. Keep your ham somewhere
cool, dry and airy. Serrano hams should never be kept in the refrigerator,
even after carving has begun. Unless you have a huge refrigerator, it
is simply not practical but the ham is supposed to be stored and eaten
at room temperature. Apart from convenience, this is why in Spanish bars
and restaurants the ham is always on display in its stand. If you do have
to store your ham in the refrigerator you must remove it and leave it
at room temperature to acclimatise before carving and serving. However
the best thing about the Serrano Ham is that it can be kept in an accessible
place, so it is always on hand when  you
fancy a slice or two!
The only practical way to store and carve your ham is to place it in a
ham stand called a “Jamonero”. This special stand ensures
the ham is secure while you carve, very important from a safety point
of view. Also this means your ham is always accessible and ready to carve
at all times. If a mold forms on the ham, don’t worry. It’s
quite normal. Remove it by washing with hot water.
Never slice ham with a knife that has a serrated edge. When you’re
ready to serve your ham, don’t cut it in chunks, but instead, in
paper-thin slices. (You should be able to see the knife through the ham;
it’s that transparent.) Slice just before serving.. moments before,
not minutes or hours!
Place the ham in the ham stand and secure using the spike on the base
and the screws in the  holder.
Next, make a deep cut around five inches down from the hoof using a sharp
strong knife.
First of all, remove the external fat rind from the body of the ham depending
on how much is to be cut. Only remove the section of rind where you plan
to begin slicing. If you remove too much rind the meat can dry out. Save
these slices of fat to use as “covering” on the ham’s
cut surfaces after you have sliced off what you need for the moment.
At the edge of the exposed meat cut away the fat at a forty-five degree
angle, this will leave you with a "ridge" of meat. Once you’ve
removed the rind, you can begin slicing. The Spanish ham knife or “cuchillo
jamonero” (same as the stand) is long, narrow, flexible and very
vary sharp. It is essential to use this type of knife to achieve the all
important wafer thin slices of ham. You know you are on the right track
when you can see th e
blade through the slices you are cutting.
Always start at the narrowest part of the ham as here there is very little
fat so this is the part that will dry out first. Using your flexible ham
knife, cut along the ham as straight as possible, always cutting parallell
to the bone. When you have removed the meat from this section, turn the
ham over and repeat the process on the other side. When both sides are
finished you can work on the tip of the ham, always cutting along the
length of the bone. The tip of the ham has a slightly stronger taste because
while the hams are hanging during curing, this is where the fat and salt
concentrates. When you have removed all the meat you can also "scrape"
the bone with a sharp knife to get the last of the meat from the fibula.
The remaining bone can be used to make a lovely stock, ideal for soups
and stews. 
After carving, it is time to enjoy those wafer thin slices of your delicious
ham. The best way is to serve on a plate with a drizzle of olive oil.
Ideal partners to Serrano Ham are almonds or chunks of melon; or slivers
of manchego cheese and a glass of Fino Sherry.
Most of the commercially sold hams are currently made in factories with
special cold rooms for the ageing process, but in the country, where each
family makes its own, things are still done the historical, and natural
way, with vastly superior results. To begin with, the pigs used for mass-produced
ham are raised to be lean, because all of their meat except the hind legs
will be sold in butcher shops and eaten fresh; whereas - as every self-respecting
Spaniard knows - the best ham is always the one which has the thickest
layer of fat.
 Every farmhouse has its cámara, a room in the attic with screened,
glass-less windows that let the cold winter air blow through. The hams
are buried in salt on a wooden table called the “saladero”
and left there for several weeks. Then all the salt is washed away and
they are hung from the rafters to dry. The whole objective being to age
them with the minimum amount of salt, since the meat should be sweet in
taste, not salty. This is risky, since about one out of every five hams
are lost to spoilage in the process. Success or failure are only discovered
when the ageing process is over and the leathery crust around the ham
is pierced for the final examination. This is ritually done with a long
splinter of cow-bone - a quick whiff of which, after removal, is enough
to tell if the ham has spoiled.
Jamón Ibérico de Bellota needs to be tasted to be understood.
And, to be tasted, it is worth a trip to Spain. To eat it is to experience
new meaning to carnal pleasures of the flesh. In appearance alone, it
is distinctive, with a rich, deep red colour verging on mauve (thanks
to the presence of myoglobin in the muscle fibers of the free-range pigs),
generously marbled  with
a soft, creamy white and delicious fat. The aroma is almost resinous in
its intensity, the complex scent of artful decay. With a remarkably sweet
and nutty flavour, and a texture that's seductively supple, silken and
melt-in-the-mouth courtesy of the luxuriant streaks of fat, it's not hard
to see why Spaniards revere it with a fervour bordering on the mystical,
spiritual and religious. It begs to be eaten alone, and if to be accompanied,
by nothing more than a few fat oily olives, a handful of marcona almonds,
a ripe fig or a luscious slice of melon, all washed down by a glass of
fino sherry.
Ooooohhhh, how I would love to have some now …………
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