Everything you did not know about a jam

Jamons are divided into:

• serrano jam - comes from the meat of white pigs
• ibérico jam - made from black Iberian pigs (Pata Negra)

Differences in Jamone Ibérico - Pat Negra

Jamon ibérico comes from a black Iberian pig that is unique worldwide and makes the ibérico jam a unique product unmatched by other dried ham. Jamón ibérico, unlike the serrano jam (but also prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele, French jambon or Croatian pruning), has a more intense and lasting taste, a higher proportion of healthy unsaturated fats, and a unique texture made possible by intercalating fat-maraging.

According to the way of life of pigs and feeding, the iberico jam is divided into:

Bellota

Jamon ibérico de Bellota (bellota means Spanish acorn) is the highest quality and the most expensive dried ham not only in Spain, but around the world. In order to obtain the exclusive name "de bellota", the Iberian pig must be fed during the so-called montanery (between September and March) exclusively with acorns and aromatic herbs. In addition, the animal lives in open-air enclosures in oak groves, in so-called dehesa (dehesa must have at least 10 trees per hectare). Before entering Montanera, the weight of the pig must be in the range of 92 and 115 kg, with a minimum of 46 kg of food consisting of acorns and herbs. Generally, there are at least two hectares of enclosure per animal, which of course is reflected in the price of the final product.

Cebo de Campo

Once the pig has not reached the required weight during the montane, it is necessary to finish it with normal organic feeds after it has finished, and the jam originated from such animals is called "de recebo".

Cebo

Animals fed exclusively by conventional feeding, mostly grains and legumes, give rise to the ibérico de cebo jam.

Division of Jamon Serrano

Jamran Serrano comes from a white that is breeding all over the world. Although it is the same species of pig, some races living exclusively in Spain are especially suited to the production of jam because they have a higher proportion of fat and thus allow longer and better ripening. Here, of course, climatic and geographic conditions and pig genetics play an important role here. For example, the Duroc breed is unique.

• Palette - the front shoulder ripening around 10 months (because of a smaller weight)
• Hembra - ripening around 9 to 12 months
• Bodega - aging for 9 to 12 months
• Reservation 12 to 15 months
• Gran reserva - tion for more than 15 months (up to 24 months).

How is a jam made?

The raw legs get rid of even the smallest amount of blood, immersed for a week to two depending on weight in sea salt (1 kg of ham is left in salt for 1.5 days - ie 10 kg of ham is loaded for up to 15 days) the salt is then washed and followed by the maturation phase itself. Some large-scale makers of honey accelerate the process of ripening by leaving the jamon in salt for several days - it will speed up the ripening process, but will reduce the quality of the meat. The salt is dried and "pulls" out of the jam of liquid.