Parma Ham Serrano Ham Jamón Ibérico Ham

The noblest and most expensive charcuterie product is, without a doubt, raw ham. The best quality ingredients, time, patience and an ancient empirical technique are the answer to the production of this ancient delicacy appreciated in all corners of the world. This perfect combination produces one of the finest meat foods ever created. Dry-aged hams were developed over time by European farmers as a way to preserve pork, without refrigeration, while waiting for the following year's slaughter period.

Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Portugal currently produce the best raw hams in the world.

The word ham comes from Italian prosciutto, which in turn came from Latin pro (before) + exsuctus(exudation).

CLIMATE, TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

Winter temperatures between 0°C and 6°C are ideal for the initial salting of hams without the risk of rotting. Very harsh winters for a long time make maturation unfeasible, but in these regions during spring temperatures rise a little and conditions gradually become more favorable for maturation. Humidity must also be adequate, as very dry air during maturation would dry out the product very quickly. Only this perfect combination of factors made raw hams possible.

Despite being extremely expensive products, interest in the quality of dry-aged hams of controlled origin (DOC) ended up gaining strength in Brazil and local industries began to produce their versions adopting faster curing methods than the originals. But small artisanal producers saw the potential of the high-end market and launched recipes using traditional techniques, which still preserve the original tradition. Obviously they are more expensive products, but they follow the longest production path. The luxury consumer understands what they are buying and knows the reason for the high price. Less demanding consumers more easily accept the price reduction that is only possible in productions that adopt shortcuts that shorten the process. There is a market for everyone!

FOOD AND BREEDS

Animals are generally chosen for the amount of intramuscular fat, the most common breeds are Iberian, Landraces, Large Whites, Mora Romagnola, Nera Parmigiana, Cinta Cenese, Durocs, Tamworth, Large Black, Bershire and Gloucester. Durocs are excellent breeds as they have a high level of intramuscular fat, good water retention and low pH. Peanuts and chestnuts are the basis of the diet during some periods of the year to promote fat gain. The more intramuscular fat, the better the final texture and flavor.

Hams weighing 7 to 8 kilos come from animals that were slaughtered at 5 or 6 months, with a total weight of around 120 kilos.

INGREDIENTS OF DRY-CURED HAM OR RAW HAM

Dry-cured hams use two essential ingredients, which are pork hind leg and salt. Some countries allow the use of sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, herbs and spices.

HOW IS RAW HAM MADE?

• Salting by immersion in brine or coarse salt;
• Rest or balance of ingredients and preservatives – salt, nitrates/nitrites and seasonings when permitted;
• Maturation or healing process.

As you can see, raw or dry-aged ham is the result of good old salt preservation, which works both as a functional additive and a seasoning.

HOW IS RAW HAM SALTING MADE?

The salting process is thorough and much of the quality and durability of the product depends on a good salting process.

Firstly, you need to massage the shank to drain all the blood, only then add the salt. Pre-salting is done in tumblers or manually. You can use just salt, or add curing salts such as sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate. Each country has its own regulations, some allow production only without curing salt, as is the case with Parma Hams from Italy.

Salting can be carried out by completely covering the ham in granulated sea or mineral salt, then they are stacked in layers, with the position of the hams alternating between the top and bottom of the pile. This helps to exert pressure throughout the process. The salting time is approximately 1.1 day/kg of raw ham, with an ambient temperature of 3°C to 4°C and a relative humidity of 85%.

There is another type of salting process that is carried out with more precision. Each ham is weighed and the amount of salt is added depending on the weight of the ham. In Parma Hams, between 20 g and 30 g of medium-grained salt are manually added to the lean part of the ham, and 10 g to 20 g of hydrated salt (20% of moisture) coarsely added to the skin.

Post-salting is essential to balance the salt throughout the ham and takes between 40 and 90 days, depending on the condition of the ham and the environment.

MATURATION OF RAW HAM – DRY AGEING HAM

Typical odor, smooth texture, non-dry exterior, correct and homogeneous salting, uniform red color, firm and yellowish fat. Each region has its particularities, for example, Spanish hams are placed in chambers where the temperature alternates to simulate the seasons, Parma hams have the lean part sealed with lard to prevent drying out and insect infestation. But as a general rule, hams are hung in environments with precise temperature and humidity control.

As stated, each region tends to simulate the natural conditions of the original products, so times, temperatures and humidity vary according to location and tradition. Some are kept at temperatures of 4°C to 6°C and 75% to 80% humidity for 40 days, and then at 12°C to 14°C with the same humidity for about five months. Others at temperatures between 0°C and 4°C and 70%– 95% of humidity during the first 40 days and then gradually raised the temperature to 34°C with a decrease between 60%–80%.

The ham loses between 32% and 36% of weight during this process. Generally within a year the Ham will be ready. But in some cases the total process time takes between 24 and 30 months. It all depends on the type of product, flavor, aroma and texture desired.

WHY IS RAW HAM SO EXPENSIVE?

Due to the quality of the raw material and mainly due to the long maturation or curing time. Products generally take around 1 year with controlled temperature and humidity, but there are some rare ones, such as the legitimate Ibérico, which can take up to 30 months to be ready. It is not cheap to keep a cold store for months and months until the product can be sold.

OTHER TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE USED IN THE PROCESS

• Blanching hams to reduce microbial contamination;
• Vacuum salting;
• Proteolytic enzymes that accelerate the salt penetration and maturation process;
• Bacterial cultures that accelerate and improve the maturation process.