Jamón Serrano country ham is a source of great pride among Spaniards. From time immemorial in the mountains of Spain, they have rolled fresh hams in sea salt and hung them from their rafters to cure. A year to eighteen months later the jamones 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.
It is unlike the smoked and salty Virginia country hams, which have to be soaked and cooked. And it is even significantly different from Italian prosciutto, which is cured for a few months with a coating of lard. The Spanish jamón serrano has distinctly more flavor, and significantly less salt than country ham and less fat than prosciutto.
Jamón serrano 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 Season there are literally hundreds of them hanging from the rafters of major food stores for the holiday shoppers.
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 jamon lies in its curing, recreating the effect of traditional 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 – approximately one day per kilo – and then they are strung up. 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.
Jamón Ibérico is the pride of Spain. The lineage of the unique animals that produce the hams stretches back to pre-history when they ran wild in the Iberian Peninsula. Columbus had some of them on the Santa María when he set out to discover the New World. Our family, who founded La Tienda, have been on a quest for the finest of all hams, Jamón Ibérico, since we started our business ten years ago.
There are two types of black-hooved Iberico pigs - one that lives the life of a normal pig and one that is free-range fed on acorns (bellotas) and wild plants. These are the coveted Bellota hams. The only difference is in diet and excersize, but those things make all the difference in the world.
The rare Bellota Jamón Ibérico hams are infused with the flavor of their favorite food, the acorn (bellota) from a cork tree. The paper-thin slices, glistening with healthy mono-unsaturated fat, provide a rich nutty flavor and tender texture. Spaniards consume the vast majority of these hams in their own country. Some producers have waiting lists for several years for their best products. They cannot produce enough hams to meet the demand from Spain, France, Japan and now America.
From the moment they are born, the special black Iberian hogs destined for Bellota quality are treated royally. For special periods after their birth, until their sacrifice (as the Spaniards term it), they live, sleep and forage under the open sky in specially maintained oak forests, called "la dehesa". These rare black-hoofed descendants of native Iberian wild boar typically have over five acres in which to forage and roam. They live for about two years in this porcine paradise -- many times the lifespan of a normal domestic pig.
In the bulking up stage each fall, the pigs feast on 15 to 20 pounds of acorns or 'bellotas' per day. This allows them to gain as much as 2 pounds of body weight daily. The consistent exercise they enjoy as they forage in a free-range atmosphere is essential to the final quality of the hams.
Finally, the hams are 'sacrificed', salted and hung up to cure from two to four years. During this carefully monitored period when they are hanging in the mountain air, the hams lose 20% to 40% of their weight. Remarkably, the curing process converts much of the remaining fat of the ham into a beneficial good-cholesterol fat, much like extra virgin olive oil. But this process only occurs in the hams made from acorn fed pigs - producing Bellota hams.
Every household in Spain has at least one or two of the hundreds of varieties of delicious chorizo sausages. Spanish chorizo-type products, often referred to as embutidos, come in many varieties, thick and thin, plain or smoked, some containing lean meat to be served for tapas, or with more fat to flavor stews and grilled dishes. In general, Spanish chorizo always has less fat and is more finely ground than a Mexican one.
While Mexican chorizo is seasoned with chile peppers and vinegar, Spanish chorizo is made basically with pork, sweet paprika and garlic, and is cured either to a hard sausage consistency, to be sliced and eaten as an appetizer, or to a softer consistency to use in cooking.
Many of the chorizos are deep red in color because they contain pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika). Not only does pimenton lend color and seasoning, but its oils make the chorizo last longer without refrigeration. Remember, until recently, refrigeration was not generally available.
Depending on the use of the finished product, lean and fat pork is chopped up in varying proportions. Garlic, salt, herbs and other seasonings are then added, perhaps with a little white wine to speed the natural fermentation process. It then rests for two days. This curing gives chorizo its typical slightly acidic taste. The cured and seasoned meat is stuffed into skins using a sausage machine. Finally, they are then tied and hung up to dry. In the wetter climate of northern Spain, they are sometimes pre-smoked for further preservation.
Other related 'embutidos' are salchichón and lomo embuchado. The lomo is an air-dried loin of pork. All the fat is removed from the meat, and then it is marinated in a mixture of seasonings similar to the chorizo. The marinated loin is stuffed in a beef skin and is slightly smoked, or else it is air-dried for three to four months so that it will retain its tenderness. Together with jamón serrano it is the highest expression of the Spanish butcher's art.
The Salchichon is similar to the Italian salami. It differs from most chorizos in that it contains no paprika, but does have cracked black pepper. The salchichon from Catalonia contains wine for added flavor.