Jamón serrano

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A Slice of Jamón serrano
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A Slice of Jamón serrano

Jamón serrano (literally sierra (mountain) ham) is a dry-cured Spanish ham, which is generally served raw in thin slices, similar to the Italian prosciutto. A foreleg prepared (and eaten) in the same manner is called paleta.

The fresh hams are trimmed and cleaned, then stacked and covered with salt for about two weeks in order to draw off excess moisture and preserve the meat from spoiling. The salt is then washed off and the hams are hung to dry for about six months. Finally, the hams are hung in a cool, dry place for six to eighteen months, depending on the climate, as well as the size and type of ham being cured. The drying sheds (secaderos) are usually built at higher elevations, which is why the ham is sometimes called mountain ham.

The highest quality, pata negra (literally black hoof), which only accounts for about five percent of total ham production, is made from the black Iberian pig (cerdo ibérico), range fed and fattened on acorns in cork oak groves along the southern border between Spain and Portugal.

The large majority of hams in the marketplace are derived from white pigs, i.e. Large White, Landrace, or Duroc strains and crosses.

A Slice of Paleta Ibérico
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A Slice of Paleta Ibérico

There are many producers of Spanish hams but the level of quality can be judged by the following:

  • The type of pig
  • The way the pig has been fed
  • The part of the pig used to make the ham
  • The way the ham is cured

The four major quality categories of ham are as follows, from highest to lowest quality:

  • Jamón Iberico de Bellota (also known as Jamón Iberico de Montanera): Free-range, acorn-fed Iberian pigs
  • Jamón Iberico de Recebo: Acorn, pasture and compound-fed Iberian pigs
  • Jamón Iberico: (also known as Jamón de Pata Negra). Compound-fed Iberian pigs.
  • Jamón Serrano: (also known as Jamón Reserva, Jamón Curado and Jamón Extra). Compound-fed white pigs.

One can buy Serrano ham by the slice, by the kilo or simply buy the entire leg.

Provided it is well cared-for, there should be no difference in quality between a slice of serrano or a whole ham.

[edit] See also

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