In Spain, jamon is not just a delicacy and a national pride. It is also a piece of furniture in some bars, hung under the ceiling. You can taste it directly without leaving the rack. Tapas is prepared with him, it is included in many dishes, and guests are treated to it.

Jamon features

• name: jamon, translation - “ham”;
• for preparation, hind pork legs are used, the product from the front is called a “pallet”;
• a special breed of pig is raised for this delicacy.

The last factor, and with it the composition of the feed, determines the quality of the product. Pastures are located in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The territory is planted with perennial oaks, the acorns of which serve as feed for pigs. The fruits of these trees are rich in carbohydrates and oils necessary for real ham. Green spaces are carefully guarded by the municipality. Landowners on which they grow are not even allowed to cut dry branches.

The number of pigs per hectare is 15 pieces. They lead a fairly active lifestyle. This is done so that the necessary subcutaneous fat does not accumulate in the scruff of the neck, but is evenly distributed over all the fleshy parts of the carcass. Jamon in Spanish cuisine is considered a good tool, oddly enough, to lower cholesterol.

Varieties

There are 2 types of ham:

• iberico jamon, or “black leg” (according to the black color of the pig breed). You can recognize him by the black hoof. The taste is nutty, silky, the shade of meat is dark. It is subdivided into 3 grades, the difference is the aging period: rebo (2 years), reserve (2.5 years), beat ota (2.5 years).

• jamon serrano, or "mountain jamon". It is made from a less rare breed. A distinctive feature is a white hoof, it tastes very similar to fresh meat. Subspecies and production time: curado (7 months), reserve (9 months), bodega (1 year).

The difference in taste depends on the diet of pigs. If the Iberian breed is fed with acorns, then the white representatives do not even know what they look like. The jamon in the photo is as appetizing as in life:

Cooking technology

Cooking ham is a responsible and time-consuming process. At the initial stage, the task is to achieve dehydration of the carcass, which is achieved by falling asleep with a large amount of salt. Duration depends on weight - 1 day per 1 kg. It usually begins in autumn and lasts until the end of summer. Next, the carcass is washed and allowed to dry in a natural way.

First, the meat is sent to rooms with a temperature of about 5 degrees months for 9-12. Here begins the conversion of raw meat into jerky. The product gradually acquires notes of the desired aroma, taste and texture.

The second stage is ripening. The semi-finished product is stored in the cellar, but is first classified. This allows you to determine the quality of the future delicacy, to set a date for its exposure. The jamon meat is ripened in suspension with a gradual increase in temperature, and thanks to the special microclimate it becomes the way it will be presented to the buyer.
  The last stage is a test. To do this, use a needle made of cow bone. It makes several holes, which makes it possible to feel the aroma and the degree of readiness of the ham.

Cutting and storage

For cutting meat, even a special profession and stand were invented. The first is kartador (a person who cuts meat), the second is a hamoner (stand), and they serve a delicacy in an institution called "hamoneriya". That is the tradition.

Cutting the product with just an ordinary knife is sacrilege. The Spaniards believe that this way it will lose all its flavor. The stand is made of wood, length - 50 cm, width - 20. The ham is fastened with a sharp screw to the narrow part, and the wide part of the leg is laid on a special board. To turn the carcass over, just loosen the screw. This allows you to cut meat from different sides. It is only necessary to ensure that the screw is always tightly tightened so that the foot does not slip. This way injuries can be avoided.

Cured meat should be stored at a temperature of 15-20 degrees. Shelf life after cutting should not be more than six months. The place where you already cut the jamon should be greased with olive oil and covered with a paper towel. You always need to cut off only the quantity that you need right now. It is better to use a knife long, narrow and very sharp. Correct slicing will allow you to feel how the meat is melting in your tongue, like a piece of melon. By the way, the most popular combination of taste among Spaniards is jamon with melon.

Choosing Jamon

If you do not need to be able to cook it, then you must know how to choose jamon in Spain.

• a taboo for the purchase of this delicacy in vacuum packaging;
• jamon cannot cost less than 15 euros per kg;
• the name should contain an indication of the variety, for example - jamon Iberico “de bei ota”;
• the carcass should have a flattened shape, the presence of hair on the surface is not allowed;
• necessarily available - hoof;
• try to press the foot with your finger, this should work out easily, without effort. And a greasy mark should remain on the finger;
• each carcass is decorated with a stamp indicating the year and week of manufacture. The difference in her day of purchase should be at least 2 years.

Spanish jamon is very well absorbed by the body and is good for our heart and blood vessels. Hence the conclusion: a small amount of this overseas dish is simply necessary for us every day.

What is jamon (video)

Each nation has its own national delicacies.

Spanish cuisine is famous not only for paella and morsilla - jerky ham ham, a traditional meat dish,

known in a sunny country since the time of the Roman conquest.

Cut pieces of ham are served in all the provinces of Spain as an independent dish and tapas, appetizers. The “quality mark” of jamon guarantees that the dish is prepared in compliance with all the secrets of technology, according to the invariable local standards, which each region has its own.

What is jamon

In any food store or bar in Spain you can see jamon: whole jerky pork ham suspended from the ceiling, or tucked into special impressive machines for thin slicing meat - hamoners.

Jamon is of two kinds - jamon Iberico, that is, a ham from Iberia, sometimes called a pata negro, a black ham and serrano jamon, mountain jamon. Both types of dried ham are distinguished by the method of preparation, pig breeds, their different fattening. The external difference of the jamon is in the color of the hoof of a ham: in Iberico it is black, in Serrano it is white.

The more expensive variety of jamon is Iberian, pigs for this type of ham are fattened only by acorns, and the price per kilogram of the finished product often reaches two hundred euros, it is this jamon that is delivered to the table of the king of Spain.

The recipe for real jamon could only be born in the unique ecosystem of this European country, where in the groves of cork oaks there are many fat acorns rich in oleic acids. So that pigs do not spoil the roots of centuries-old oaks, they do a “piercing”, pierce the patch, while digging the earth becomes difficult.

Jamon cooking stages

For the national pride of Spain - the jamon - special pigs (these pets must have at least 2/3 of the black Iberian blood) are fed on a special diet (the pig spends a season from October 15 to February 15 on the acrylic pasture).

Slaughter of pigs for the production of jamon is carried out only until March 31. Carcass cutting is a real art of the sculptor: the precise movements of the butcher cut off everything unnecessary, cutting out tender pieces of ham. An indispensable attribute of a real jamon is a scrap of wool and a hoof, as evidence of the authenticity of a black Iberian pig.

First, a fresh ham is salted, densely sprinkling meat with salt. Salting time depends on the weight of the pig’s legs and the climate of each historical region of Spain. Previously, for every kilogram of weight, there were two days of salting, now - one at a time, which is why modern jamon is not so salty.

The salt is washed off and transferred for several days to chambers with high humidity and low plus temperature. The meat is then transferred to chambers with lower humidity and higher temperature, and the ham is dried.

The most critical period is the stage of meat ripening, when the ham becomes a real jamon, acquiring a unique taste and sophistication of the aroma. He is kept in special cellars for a year, two, and even three: each jamon has his own time. The finished product looks great, it is a real work of culinary excellence.

It is interesting
In addition to the true jamon of Iberico or his cheaper fellow serrano, in Spain they also prepare the delantero jamon, or pallet, a ham from the front leg of the pig. A pork shoulder prepared according to the recipe of a classic dried ham, is called lomo.

The Spanish jamon has several foreign relatives: Parma Italian ham and Croatian prosciutto, pork ham smoked on charcoal and dried in the wind.

The national hamons have their own “quality mark”, in Spanish - Denominacion de Origen, that is, “name controlled by origin”. Each province of Spain produces its own jamon according to local traditions and recipes.

On any ham there is a colorful tag indicating the area where it was made: Guihuelo, Cecina de Leon, Treveles, Huelva, Teruel and the like.

Two jamon from the same pig carcass can vary greatly in taste. It even depends on which side the pig most often lay during life. Spaniards use ready-made jamon for decorating their home kitchens and in national chamonieri restaurants, where jerky ham is not only the main part of the menu, but also the decor of the establishment.

With jamon, the Spaniards prepare a lot of dishes, because this product is not a delicacy for them, but part of life.

Jamon is eaten with olives, melon, tomatoes, beans, cheeses and herbs. Thinly sliced \u200b\u200bjamon also serves fried potatoes and pasta, it is added to the hot main dishes, and rich soups are prepared from the bones of the ham. The jerky is served with sherry and beer, dry red Spanish wine.

Gentle jamon is very useful for the body, because it contains the “right” fats and acids necessary for health. Therefore, in Spain, it is even recognized as a dietary product, capable of delivering not only pleasure in small quantities at a meal, but also to bring benefits.

Butchering a leg is a whole ritual, spectacular and very unpleasant. Not everyone is admitted to it. Those who own this art are called cortadors. Jam is cut on a special wooden stand - hamoner.

This is a peculiar performance: a demonstration of the quality of jamon and the skill of the cortador. The cortador’s tool is special knives with a long thin blade and a short hard one.

The ham is placed with the hoof up on the hamoner and is “opened” with a knife with a short blade - a cut is made towards it and the skin and fat are removed until meat appears. Then the jamon is cut with a long knife into thin, almost transparent slices, no longer than 6-7 cm, with a small strip of fat along the edges.

Where it is no longer possible to thin the ham, a short knife is needed again - the remaining meat and bone will be useful for hot dishes, broths and soups.

In Spain, there are even special establishments dedicated to this product. They are called HAMONERIA. It is both a restaurant, a wine room and a grocery store.

Pork ham - the basis of the menu and an integral part of the interior. Here you can try and drink a cup of coffee and just buy 100 grams in slices. The most simple and popular dish of jamon is a sandwich. They are in all fast food eateries.

And in serious restaurants you will be served on a plate both that and another separately.

The most classic sandwich recipe is a decent sized baguette bun, serrano jamon, cheese and very finely chopped tomato.

Zhanna Pyatirikova

Each country certainly has a dish that citizens are proud of. On Foggy Albion, this is bacon and oatmeal, in Germany they go crazy for smoked sausages, and in Denmark they keep a secret how to cook the Danish goose. But none of these dishes can be compared with Spanish jamon. This jerky has carried nearly 2,000 thousand years of history and remembers many historical events. In general, we can safely say: everything passing, only jamon - is eternal!

Jamon  - This is a large piece of jerky and salted meat - mainly the hind leg of a pig. In the preparation of jamon, a certain list of spices is used, salt is added, and the process itself is carried out only subject to strict temperature limits and humidity levels. That is why the Spanish jamon is simply impolite to call appetizer, ham or bacon. This is because Spanish jamon is one of the main symbols of the cuisine of Orange Country, and a rare tourist does not bring a piece of salted meat home.

In Spain, jamon is one of the most consumed products, because its cost is relatively low, and in meat, thanks to the cooking method, there is practically no cholesterol. A small piece of this delicacy can be given even to a small child.

The story of jamon began more 2000 thousand years  back in time Roman empire. At that time, although there were cellars in the houses, their capabilities were clearly not enough to preserve the meat. In addition, for nomadic tribes, merchants and armies there was an acute problem of preserving meat in the heat and on campaigns. So the meat began to sprinkle densely and roll in salt, allowing it to dry. The jerky could not foul, and it could be used for food almost all year round, as it was in poor families, where meat was often not bought. But the concept of caste was alien to the hamon - soldiers and legionnaires used this dish for food, this delicacy decorated the tables of emperors and nobles and was sold in ordinary city markets.

AT XVIII century  jamon began to actively export. And in the middle of the century, jamon got to our region, becoming an overseas treat, which was served at the table in wealthy houses on major holidays. This salted meat very quickly gained sympathy among gourmets, becoming now a real symbol of Spain. It is noteworthy that despite the wide distribution and popularity of the dish, the original jamon recipe has survived to this day almost unchanged.

The best jamon is considered a variety   Iberico  or Pata negra (black leg). For its preparation, only one type of meat is used - a black Iberian pig. These animals are fed one of two special diets. One of them is called "beyota" and is based on acorns, which feed the pig in its pure form, replacing them with feed. The second diet - “rebo” is a mixture of acorns and fodder (feed). These two feeding methods are fundamental in the production of jamon, and the rules for keeping pigs are quite strict. The pig is fed hourly, and also washed every other day. A pigsty or corral is cleaned every day. The Iberian pig has black hooves, as well as dark skin, which explains the name of this variety. Jamon Iberico is considered a real delicacy and has an incomparable taste. Therefore, it is delivered to the court of the king of Spain, as well as to the main houses of the state. But for export this variety is sent in very limited quantities, preferring to sell it to tourists and visitors.

However, Iberico is not the only variety and type of jamon. This delicacy is produced in at least five provinces of Spain. A cheaper and more affordable variety of jamon is Serrano  - it is obtained from the meat of white pigs, whose diet consists only of fodder. True, the feed is selected carefully, trying to make it balanced. Serrano more often than other varieties is found on the shelves of our stores, which buy jamon in Spain.

Looking at this delicious pork leg, it is impossible to imagine the full technology of cooking meat. However, as in life, everything here starts small. The first step, after stabbing and cutting the carcass, is washing. Pork ham is freed from excess fat, washed with water and covered with plenty of sea salt for 2 weeks. Salt draws out all moisture and also actively preserves meat. The main rule is to observe the temperature. It should not rise above + 5ºС. At the end of the period, the ham is freed from excess salt with a clean cloth soaked in water, then the ham is given the shape it will have when sold and suspended vertically in a low temperature chamber. This stage usually lasts 1-2 months, and in the process completely removes the ham from the ham, and evenly absorbs the remaining salt.

The last step is drying - hanging the meat vertically so that the subcutaneous fat is absorbed evenly. Then, almost ready-made jamon is sent to the cellar, where he “matures”. This process can last almost a month. The readiness of the jamon is checked with a large needle made of cow bone - it pierces the meat and checks the smell. The finished delicacy should not exude any strong odors. By the way, only the back pork leg is not always used in the preparation of jamon. Chefs distinguish jamon made from the front leg - it is called Delantero  or "Pallet". In some regions of Spain, jamon is also made from scapula and is called Lomo.

However, in order to enjoy this meat, it must be properly cut. In bazaars, fairs and restaurants for these purposes, there is a special person - cortadortrained to properly cut a pig leg. They make an incision with a sharp movement, directing the knife toward themselves, and remove the skin and fat until dried salted meat appears. Only after this, the meat is cut into long, thin slices 6-7 cm long, leaving a strip of fat at the edges. If the incision has already come close to the bone, again use a short knife. And the remaining bones and meat are used in the preparation of broths, soups and hot dishes. For cutting jamon there is a special wooden board - hamoneraon which all this action takes place.

The Spaniards keep the jamon at home, suspended in the kitchen and add literally to everything. This meat treat is combined with melon, olives, olives, herbs, cheeses, tomatoes and other vegetables. The combination of jamon and melon is somewhat unexpected, but from the first piece it conquers everyone.

Speaking of classics. Today, many culinary specialists and chefs challenge the Spanish masters of jerky and prepare jamon from horse meat, venison, and even lamb in the East. Similar experiments are also popular among gourmets, but true jamon is an oblong piece of tender pink pork meat with a white streak of fat, thinly cut, but that does not completely lose its shades, and beautifully laid on bread or on a separate plate with sauce. And at such moments you understand that there are things in the world that are truly eternal, and they do not care about any wars and cataclysms. And jamon is a real example of true taste, which is remembered for a long time, and the aftertaste remains with you forever!

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Jamon (jamón) - this is not just food. This, no matter how loud it sounds, is a symbol of the country, its identification mark. To visit Spain and not to taste jamon is just nonsense. It’s the same as coming to the stands of the Camp Nou stadium to enjoy the game El Classico (FC Barcelona vs. FC Real Madrid), but watch it not live, but on a little TV brought with you.

What is jamon, how is it created, on what grounds do they choose

Jamon is a ham, that is, a pork leg properly salted and dried in natural conditions. Leg, by the way, is not any, but the back. The front leg of the Spanish butchers has a completely different name - the pallet (paleta). Some experts even venture to say that the front and rear legs of the same animal taste completely different - see the picture on the left.

But in general, there are a lot of brands of jamon in Spain. The brand in this case is more likely determined by the breed of the pig or may indicate the manufacturing company that prepares this type of meat. As a rule, each farmer or company has its own nuances, which they add to the technologies common to all.

Jamon Iberico (Jamon ibérico )

Jamon from Iberian pigs is considered the most expensive and refined. Amazing black pig breed   It has been grown for a very long time in these places and in these climatic conditions. Iberico pigs are not large, and are much inferior in size to the famous Canadian pigs. With the modern development of chemistry, it probably would not have been difficult to feed the “Iberians” and giants, but ... there is an opinion that the weight of the animal and its proportions affect taste. Therefore, Spanish pig farmers prefer to follow centuries-old traditions, rather than chasing record levels of mass and volume. This also makes gourmets value Spanish jamon so highly.

Pedigree, pedigree - everything here is similar to how dog breeders who raise their “smaller brothers” for some super-prestigious exhibitions follow these same characteristics. Do not be surprised if they tell you that the four-legged “Iberians” have a pedigree that goes, like the aristocracy, for many centuries into the depths of history. It is so.

The main conditions that are necessarily observed when raising Iberico pigs, in addition to the purity of the birth line, are as follows:

• animals are raised on open pastures, and not in corrals and stalls, that is, they need movement, although hardly anyone will call them particularly frisky and playful.
• the Iberian pig is obliged to eat mainly by acorns (bellota), therefore, pastures (dehesas) for them are actually oak groves.

For the entire period of life before slaughter (from birth to the age of 24 months), the Iberian pig eats an annual crop of acorns of a grove with an area of \u200b\u200bthree hectares. At the same time, pig farmers may from time to time change their diet, its composition, the ratio in pig rations of various mineral elements, vitamins, etc. They do this in order to then draw various veins on the cut, alternate meat and fat, add or change flavoring shades. For many foodies, a slice of jamon is a business card or quality mark.

Jamon serrano

It is prepared from another species of pig - a white breed. In literal translation from Spanish, “serrano” means “mountain”. In this case, the name of the jamon indicates that the drying of the ham occurs in mountain conditions, that is, climatically and seasonally different from the plains.

It’s difficult to find comrades for taste and color, but still it’s quite possible to bring some general hints to those who are interested.

A well-prepared jamon (appropriately fed pig) will certainly have small white dots on the cut. It looks like tyrosine, an element that is part of a large number of natural proteins (aromatic alpha amino acid). Tyrosine helps the body get rid of excess fats (you can lose weight by eating meat), makes the adrenal glands, thyroid gland and the pituitary gland work better.

In theory, it would be nice to know two things:

• the period of drying the product (optimal - 30-36 months, elite jamon can withstand up to 48 months)
• the age at which the animal was slaughtered (24 months - the optimum, but 18 is allowed).

Also check the meat for hardness. The longer the jamon has exposure time, the denser it is. This does not mean that only meat with a hardness of stone should be eaten - the young jamon is also edible and has its adherents. Speaking of density, we give you the opportunity to estimate the age of the product yourself: for those same forty-eight months of drying, meat loses up to 40% of its weight due to evaporation of moisture. Now you understand what kind of gourmet jamon should be like a tooth.

And the last clue to the person choosing which jamon to buy. Remember that between quality (meat) and quantity (money per kg written on the price tag) the relationship in this case is strict and directly proportional.

The price for serrano jamon can start from 8-9 € / kg.
The price of Iberico jamon can exceed 150-200 € / kg.

Perhaps the most exquisite brands of jamon are Pata Negro and Belota. The first of those named got its name (“black leg” - Spanish) for the color of the pork hoof. Not quite the usual color - not some unique sign of a particular breed, but, let’s say, just an exception to the rule. Special studies and attempts to breed pigs exclusively with black hooves have not yet been made. “Pata Negro” is a special case of Iberico, with a very high qualification. Elite level, if you want.

A worthy pair of “black legs” is Bellota. But even this is not a special separate variety, but a variety of Iberian. The name of the brand, translated into Russian as "acorn" once again unobtrusively indicates the product that the animal was predominantly fed.

Buy jamon and other meat products from Spain online

Jamon, as well as other meat products from factories in Spain, can be purchased through a distributor, Spain in Russian, in Barcelona.

The approximate price differences for Iberian pig products in Spain's retail chain are shown in the table below.

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Spanish jamon is not just a dish, but a certain symbol and pride of the country. Jamon is a ham made from pig’s meat, but you won’t try it anywhere else in Spain. Spanish jamon differs from the same product in other countries by the breed of pigs that are used to produce jamon and their diet. Even more important in the popularity of this product is the fact that the Spaniards made it a kind of cult. You can see pig legs in all restaurants of the country, and it’s not uncommon when they become part of the interior.

In Spain you will find jamon of white pigs and their black Iberian pigs. The breed of white pigs belongs to ordinary pigs and such jamon can be found in many countries. But the Iberian breed of black pigs is found only in Spain and the jamon of these pigs is valued more.

Serrano jamon is produced from white pig breeds, such breeds include Duroc, Landrace, Pietrain, Large White and others. Try Jamon Serrano, and which one you like and buy.

From breeds of black Iberian pigs produce Iberico jamon. It always costs more than a serrano and it can be distinguished by eye with a narrow, taut leg, with a jamon made from white pig breeds, the leg will always be wider. Iberian pigs feed in forests where stone and cork oaks grow. They grow slower than white pigs and go in search of food a lot, so their legs are stronger and sinewy.

The area of \u200b\u200bthe Iberian Peninsula is limited, and there are not so many forests with oaks, which is why this jamon is unique to Spain and is produced in limited quantities. In this breed it is very important to eat just these acorns and walk a certain distance a day, only then you will get a marbled look of meat. There are 5 regions where the Iberian breed is bred: Jamon de Huelva, Jamon de Trevelez, Jamon de Teruel, Guijuelo and Dehesade Extremadura.

The taste of jamon depends on the breed of pigs and its feed, and then choose according to your taste and read the label. The label necessarily says Jamon, then the purity of the breed is written (there are two options for Iberico Piro - purebred or Iberico - mixed breed), most of them are in stores. Next is the diet. Then comes the name of the manufacturer, expiration date and other data. It is not difficult to read the labels and you will never be mistaken which product you are buying.

Another very important thing to know about jamon. If you want to bring it home, then know that when slicing and storing it in the packaging, the Iberico jamon loses its taste and at home it will taste completely different than you tried in Spain. Therefore, take a serrano jamon for a gift, and it will remain just as tasty in the package. If you want to buy a whole leg of Iberico jamon, you can’t store it in the refrigerator and you need to eat it as soon as possible.