 |
Categories |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Quick Find |
|
|
|
Information |
|
|
|
Outside Links |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jamón Serrano (literally mountain ham) is a type of jamón (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 they are 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 called mountain ham. The large majority of Serrano hams are made from black Iberian pigs and the ham is so delicious that the Romans imported the animal to Italy and that is the origin of Prosciutto. 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.
Our hams are sourced from the high Alpujarran villages of the Sierra Nevada. Here the air cool, clear and dry. This gives the ideal climate for curing hams. Every possible effort is made to ensure the highest quality standards are adheared to, enuring that your ham reaches you in the best possible condition.
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 cured 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. 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). The best varieties of pata negra are range fed and fattened on acorns in cork oak groves along the southern border between Spain and Portugal. (see the two subcategories above)
Jamón Serrano: (also known as Jamón Reserva, Jamón Curado and Jamón Extra).
Serrano has TSG Status. |
|
|
New Products For November |
|
|
|
|
|
| 0 items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bestsellers |
|
|
|
Languages |
|
|
|
Currencies |
|
|
|
|
|
