Jamón serrano
Encyclopedia
Jamón serrano is a type of jamón
(dry-cured
Spanish
ham
), which is generally served raw in thin slices, or occasionally diced. The French jambon de Bayonne and Italian
prosciutto crudo
are similar. A foreleg prepared in the same manner is called paleta.
The majority of Serrano hams are made from the Landrace
breed of white pig and are not to be confused with the much more expensive and entirely different Jamón ibérico
.
breed of white pig and are not to be confused with the much more expensive and entirely different Jamón ibérico
. These hams were known as a delicacy even in the days of the Roman Empire. Though not expensive in Spain and the European Union
, duties imposed on imported meats and exchange rates makes these hams more costly outside the EU. Where available, the meat can usually be purchased sliced, in chunks, or as a complete, bone-in ham.
Jamón Serrano has TSG
Status.
The four major quality categories of cured ham are as follows, from highest to lowest quality:
Jamón
Jamón is the Spanish word for ham. In English it refers to certain types of dry-cured ham from Spain. There are two primary types of jamón: Jamón serrano and Jamón ibérico ....
(dry-cured
Curing (food preservation)
Curing refers to various food preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, nitrates, nitrite or sugar. Many curing processes also involve smoking, the process of flavoring, or cooking...
Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ham
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
), which is generally served raw in thin slices, or occasionally diced. The French jambon de Bayonne and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
prosciutto crudo
Prosciutto
Prosciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto....
are similar. A foreleg prepared in the same manner is called paleta.
The majority of Serrano hams are made from the Landrace
Landrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
breed of white pig and are not to be confused with the much more expensive and entirely different Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...
.
Preparation
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 called mountain ham.Availability
The majority of Serrano hams are made from the LandraceLandrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
breed of white pig and are not to be confused with the much more expensive and entirely different Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...
. These hams were known as a delicacy even in the days of the Roman Empire. Though not expensive in Spain and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, duties imposed on imported meats and exchange rates makes these hams more costly outside the EU. Where available, the meat can usually be purchased sliced, in chunks, or as a complete, bone-in ham.
Jamón Serrano has TSG
Protected designation of origin
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
Status.
Other hams
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 IbericoJamón ibéricoJamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...
de Bellota: Free-range, acorn-fed Iberian pigs
- Jamón Iberico de Recebo: Acorn, pasture and compound-fed Iberian pigs
- Jamón Iberico de Campo: (Sometimes just Jamón Iberico in short and also known as Jamón de Pata Negra). Compound-fed Iberian pigs. Pata negraPata NegraPata Negra is a famous flamenco band in the history of Spanish music. Established by Raimundo Amador Fernández and Rafael Amador Fernández after the band Veneno broke up...
(literally black hoof), which only accounts for about five percent of total ham production, is made from the Black Iberian PigBlack Iberian PigThe Black Iberian pig, also known in Portugal as Alentejano, is a breed, Mediterraneus, of the domestic pig that is indigenous to the Mediterranean area...
(cerdo ibérico). The best varieties of pata negra are range fed and fattened on acornAcornThe acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s in cork oakCork OakQuercus suber, commonly called the Cork Oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa.It grows to up to 20 m,...
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). Compound-fed white pigs.
See also
- HamHamHam is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
, particularly the section on Spain - JamónJamónJamón is the Spanish word for ham. In English it refers to certain types of dry-cured ham from Spain. There are two primary types of jamón: Jamón serrano and Jamón ibérico ....
- Jamón ibéricoJamón ibéricoJamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is a type of cured ham produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico...