Jamon from Spain: history, preparation, use. What is jamon, how to cut it from pork and what to eat it with? What to do if there is mold on the jamon

Jamon is a true gourmet's favorite. You don't care about the chasnik! There are generally low rules for using dried Spanish shanks. And it’s so amazingly expensive that it would be truly a shame because you don’t smell the delicious aroma of the new world.

What helps to reveal the taste of jamon? It's not wonderful, it's fruit. Take a shredder and roast the figs or din. Pieces of pears and dates are ready. Pierce the roll with a skewer. Having collected a bunch of rolls, place them on plates on the table. You can put a splint of large olives on the dish for decoration.

Of course, alcohol must be served before the tavern. Just like that? It would be natural to serve Spanish wine before the Spanish end. More than chervone? There's food here. White wine can be drunk during the day, but red wine can be drunk in the evening. So just go with sherry and traditional Russian gorka, as well as grape.

Don’t think that only Spanish and Italian wines can be paired with jamon and prosciutto. It’s bad for Moldavian and Crimean wines. Golovne - choose a bright dance.

A glass of red Bardot or Amontillado sherry will miraculously complement the Yuletide aroma of the shank. Don’t bother taking wine on the road. The simple taste of alcohol in the building is more beautiful than the taste of tavern. Even if you drink it, the wine exudes a lot of respect, and the wine itself is a bouquet of aromas. One more thing: when you try the Sareano Stegenze, you can choose whatever wine you want. We won’t appreciate the sparkling champagne just like that. And the “Iberico” axis is completely on the right. The spicy aroma of the building drowns out the taste of the sweet wine. Therefore, choose low-fat cucumber instead. The fort is to lie in front of your likenesses - and for an hour, it’s imperative.

To make sure it doesn’t look “boring” on the table, you can make a salad. Same with vikoristannyam jamon. Why do you need salad greens, cucumbers and pears? It is necessary to pull out the core of the pear and cut it into slices. Cut the cucumber into rings, chop the salad coarsely. There is no need to prepare the salad, place it on a plate in balls and decorate with shredded buds. Add a drop of lemon and olive oil.

Poetry: Jimenez. Movie: Javier Bardem. Izha: jamon. Spain loves wild names. And especially in cooking, when it comes to a product with a twenty-century history and a favorite of the legendary Spanish conquerors.

Just like before the Conquistadors, jamon was cultivated throughout the world, only produced in an extremely humane way: the powers of the state simply cannot resist the taste of the head Spanish culinary tradition.

Two thousand years of popularity

Breeding pigs for jamon on a large territory near the modern and central part of Spain: from the province of Huelva, the developed centers of jamon production - the places of Jabugo and Aracena - until the sunset of Estremadura, the Fatherland horse stadorov: here, near the place of Gihuelo, the famous Estro-Madura jamon ripens.

Jamon, or Spanish, dry-cured pork rind (I want to be honest, the Spanish patriot would not call jamon just okost: in Spain this delicacy is revered by the national baths), over two thousand years in: practice of preparing pork for bark, saving meat The path between salted and smoked meats has been popular for a long time. The first evidence of salting pork meat was recorded among the Cantabrian peoples, captives of the Romans between 29 and 19 BC, and the first recipe for salting pork legs is described in the book "De re agricola" by the Spanish Cato el V'eho , who is alive in the 2nd century BC n. e. Pork prepared in this way was well preserved and could be transported over large distances. The Romans who arrived to Spain immediately appreciated the merits of Iberian pork: jamon can be found in the works of Emperor Diocletian and the military poet and historian Marcus Varro.

View of America

Christopher Columbus discovered the New World not without the help of jamon: the old Spanish saying is that “America was conquered with Castilian bread and the lard of Iberian pigs.” The very same porcine bone, impervious to preservation, was the main meat of the participants of the Columbus (and subsequent) expedition. And starting from the 18th century, jamon was sold to rich countries on all continents.

Preparing jamon

After sorting out the ingredients for the Maybut jamon, place the sea salt for two degrees (before speaking, it is important that the best salt for the jamon is found on the outskirts of Alicante due to the similar protection of Spain and in the area of ​​Cadiz at the entrance edges). Wash the salted stegen and hang it vertically.

The next stage is the level of salting, which rotates in the chambers to automatically control the temperature and liquid content for the incoming and even distribution of salt and residual waste water.

Then hang the racks vertically and let them sit for an hour, which is necessary for the frequent removal of the skin fat from the meat mass. Salting, washing, vibrating and drying take about half a week, and then the jamon ripens in the leaves: the stems are classified as vago and yakist (this is how the hour necessary for the “ripening” of the skin jamon is determined), and then the stench “ripens” in the air. Due to the microclimate of lokhi, jamon develops a unique taste and aroma. Within an hour of ripening, the stegenet dries out greatly and is consumed by the vase: approximately 7 kg are lost.

Spravzhny jamon

Let us return before the jamon hardens to the national traditions of Spain: this means that fresh jamon is prepared from the meat of special breeds of pigs, which are aged in an original way. It is found in free grazing on the wooded flatlands, where the wind is dry, winters are cold, and summers are not hot. On the Girsky pastures, near the cork oak trees, there are also a lot of acorns, rich in oleic acid - this is a special “diet” of Iberian pigs, from whose meat jamon is prepared. The pastures are managed so that the pigs are constantly in Russia: they run to and from watering holes in search of hedgehogs. This is the main mass of fat that is deposited on the scruff of the neck, gradually seeps down and penetrates the fleshy, fleshy parts of the carcass. The juiciness of the ham jamon is determined by the quantity and juiciness of its fat. Until the second day, according to all the rules, the Iberian pig must weigh about 160 kg.

Fresh jamon is an absolutely natural product, without any additives: the only important thing is the breed of pigs and the natural salting in acid salt with washing, drying and ripening.

Experts monitor the level of readiness of the jamon for its smell: the stench penetrates the surface of the meat at the sweet spots with a special brush and smells it. It literally takes hours to prepare jamon, so great regular customers ask for the Spanish delicacy three days before it’s ready!

How to cut and what to eat jamon with

Place the jamon on a special stand and cut it into slices; Lightly coat with melted fat so that the meat does not hang too thin.

You can prepare snacks with jamon, add it to salads, soups and other condiments.

Grind the sauce over the grilled pepper and lubricated jamon until the meat is crispy. Find recipes for desserts with jamon: in Spain they love top frost with chips with jamon and a spoonful of butternut squash honey. The classic pairing with jamon is licorice dina. There is a whole ritual of sipping jamon: a lump of hot red wine, a bowl of jamon, an olive soaked in wine, another piece of jamon and another lump of wine.

See the jamon

There are two main types of jamon: jamon iberico and jamon serrano. The first one is also called pata negra, or “black leg”. Iberico and Serrano differ in the method and severity of preparation, and the head quality is the breed of pigs and their origin. Iberian comes from the meat of black pigs of the Iberian breed, which were raised on the beyota diet (Bellota) or the diet that comes from acorns with forage - Recebo. Serrano is prepared from the meat of white pigs, which are primarily fed with fodder.

The two main types of ham can be separated according to the color of the ham: in Serrano it is white, and in Ibérico it is black. The “Jamón Iberico de Beyota” itself, the ham of the highest quality, is delivered to the court of the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I. The Spaniards do not want to export such ham: they are respected for the better production themselves.

The cream of the classic jamon is either the hind leg, or the Delantero jamon, or Paleta: the front leg. A shoulder blade, shaped similarly to jamon, is called lomo. In Spain, where most jamon is sold before the saints, palleta ta lomo is bought among them among the saints.

Signs of walking

As for vintage wines or syringes, for good ham, the “style” is important: ham also has a name, controlled by the style, - Denominacion de Origen. This is a sign of yummyness, which guarantees that the jamon is prepared in the singing Galuzia and in accordance with the ancient local standards. Label with markings on the skin of the jamon; place on it:

• news about the province, pasture;
• pig number;
• Vaga feet until salty;
• the date of salting of the cob, the terms of loading the chamber, the trivality of the jamon display.

Well, you bought it, brought it home, and what next? Where to save? At what temperature? Where should I put it? How to cut it? What to serve?

1. Optimal temperature- not cold.
When slicing the jamon from behind in a vacuum package, keep it at room temperature (+24) to release its softness.
If the packaging was stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2-4 degrees, you can rub it under hot water or put it in a plate of warm water until the fat is visible. Therefore, don’t rush to open the package, check for it.
Of course, the jamon out of the package will not have the same taste as it was cut, but it will not be 90% bitter.
It’s even easier to just take it out of the refrigerator a year before use.
The problem arises when in some restaurants there is a rush to put it on a hot plate.

2. If we are talking about nicely sliced ​​jamon, then from the moment of slicing until serving, since the room temperature does not exceed 25 degrees, it would be ideal to mince ten minutes. In good jamon, the fat “dies down” and the taste improves. The jamon is not of the highest quality... better to eat it immediately, until the wine dries out and the juice is curdled. If you deprive yourself of it for too long, you will turn into over-salted fish!

3. Is it better to bathe my leg, right or wrong?
It often seems like something is wrong. Theoretically, depending on which side the creature sleeps on, or which one it lies on, it is more to blame. If the creature sleeps on one or another, it makes no difference.

4. Hamoni is better than female pigs. I know it's nonsense. “Macho” pigs, which are specially grown for jamon, are castrated so that they do not develop hormones such as testosterone, which flows into the development of fibers.

5. Thin skibs or cubes (tacos)?
The shape of the cut is very important. The bottle is thin, about the same size, and only fits one bite.
If it is no longer possible to cut the skibs (close to the brush), you can cut them into cubes. Only two pieces of jamoni are cut into cubes. This meat is white, the largest part of the jamon. And it is important for cutting the part between a large and small brush, with plenty of tendon.
Fahivtsi are cut into slices, which is why this part of the jamon has a special taste. You can also use it in cubes at home, but it will still be delicious.

6. Not suitable for skin. To do everything correctly, you need a special “jamonero” knife (long and flexible), a special “puntia” knife for cleaning the curds and piercing the brush, and a “chaira” - a type of cylindrical knife.
If only “jamonero” is used, it will be lightly sealed and will not be suitable for skimming.
Professionals have special rollers with 12 knives, but that’s a different story.

7. Covering the opened jamon with white gancher is a bad idea. The best way is to cover the pink ham with fat, for which it is deprived if the ham is “finished”. This way it doesn’t oxidize and can last for a month. It is good to cover with fat, but after 4-5 days the fat will still oxidize and smell bad... Therefore, right before the hour of slicing, you need to clean the outer crust. Or better yet, just cover it thickly with cellophane so that it gets scorched less. And you can already put a gancher on the animal’s spit to protect it from the light.

8. Mixed-color plates “beat in” the jamon. The plate will no longer be white. The white background is accentuated by the red ham color. Ham looks more aesthetically pleasing on white aphids. The lard on black aphids looks clear. Black fashionable garni plates for avant-garde cuisine, but not for jamon.

9. Iberian tavern does not consist of alcohol. Let's have some wine - of course. The new fashion, with champagne and gin and tonic, is also popular.

10. The black label means “reputable Iberian pig.” If it’s not 100%, then the label is red. Green and white - for other varieties of pigs. The best flavor is in the jamon “de bellota de cerdo iberico puro”, the least good in the “de cerdo de cebo”.

11. Don't keep it in the kitchen. It’s very warm here and there are a lot of different smells. In Spanish booths you can save money at the salon.

12. What with bread or without? The product is a sour cream that you can eat and nothing.

13. What is it? your arms won't grow you don’t know how to cut it? Bring to the counter. Let it be packed in a vacuum packer. Not everyone knows that once the jamon has been budded, after three months it is no longer suitable for eating.

14. Don’t throw away your brushes You can make a delicious soup with them!

15. Can you give jamon to children? There is no established age for which jamon can be given to children... Well, it’s time to start everything - so let’s go!

Various recipes for preparing dried meat, frozen pork stegenets, can be found in the kitchens of almost all peoples of the world (obviously, it is clear that meats that have been roasted do not survive). But even the poorest from the products rejected by such a rite were able to achieve world glory. And one of them is jamon.

Fresh jamon is a special method of curing pork, and a particular breed of pig, and based on special methods of their origin, the minds for which have developed in the unique ecosystem of certain regions of Spain. On the pastures of the village, near the cork oak trees, there is not much grass, but on the acorns, which are rich in oleic acid, we are tired. Moreover, the acorns of Spanish bark oaks are richly malty, lower than Russian ones. And so that the pigs do not eat the roots of these noble trees, they pierce the snouts: this is why such “piercing” makes the digging of the earth even more twisted.

The finest jamon - Iberico (Iberico, but - Pata Negra, “black leg”) - to slaughter the meat of black pigs of the Iberian breed, which were fed special diets: including black pigs - bejota (Bellota) or eat acorns with forage - resebo (Recebo). Black pigs have a black pigtail Pata Negra. Such a product itself will reach the court of the King of Spain. Unfortunately, the Spaniards are reluctant to export it. Respect for the best way to get together yourself.

Cheaper type of product - serrano (Serrano)- from the meat of white pigs, which are primarily fed with fodder.

Cream of jamon (stegentsia, hind legs) still basic jamon delantero (Delantero), but pallet (Paleta) that's the front leg. And the shoulder blade, shaped similarly to a jamon, is called lomo.

As for summer wines, for sweet hams the “arrangement” is important: they also have a “name, controlled for the origins”, in this case - Denominacion de Origen. This is a kind of sign of yummyness, which guarantees that the jamon is prepared in the singing province according to ancient local standards. About obov'yazkovo indicate on the birch of the finished jamon: Jamon de Huelva, Jamon de Teruel, Jamon de Trevelez, Cecina de Leon, Dehesa de Extremadura, Guijuelo…

Such a label with markings is on the skin of the jamon. And similarly, as on the wine label the locality, the vineyard, the river of grape harvest are indicated, on the ham there is information about the province, pastures, as well as the number of the pig, the moisture of the legs before salting, the date of the salting process Yuvannya, terms of imprisonment in cells, trivalism display cases.

Signs of dignity

The pig, which produces high-quality jamon, contains at least 75% black Iberian blood. They are put on a special diet for a year, so that at the time of the fight they gain a strong singing voice. The pig lives on the pasture for the entire “slut season” - from 15 to 15 years of harvest. And they live even more freely: no more than fifteen animals are released per hectare. Pigs that are satisfied with all the required benefits are slaughtered before 31 February, and super jamon that has lost its status will never be sold.

The processing of the carcass into parts and other parts that will then go into the cowbass demonstrates the mastery of the sculptor. The ocyst is responsible for the swelling of the “historical” V-like shape. It is imperative to remove the klaptik from the outside - this is a kind of sign of succulence, confirming the quality of jamon from black Iberian pig. Another sign, as we have already been told, is black kopitse.

Many months will pass before the fresh juice becomes jamon. It is our responsibility to properly salt it. For this, in the old way, balls of meat are salted with balls of salt. How long do you need to lie down on your feet: previously, two days were spent on a kilogram of skin, now - one, so the current jamon is less salty (this, perhaps, is a single approach to long-standing traditions). Then they are washed thoroughly, and after a couple of days the jamoni is transferred to a room with a temperature of 3-6 ° C and high humidity - the meat becomes less and less watery and is evenly salted. The next chamber is already drying - the temperature there is gradually increased and the humidity is reduced.

Once you decide, the next period has arrived - ripening. At this hour, the jamon infuses a unique taste and aroma. In special wines, jamoni, like good wines, waits for its time. How much jamon has been destined to ripen, to lie not only in the vag, but also in the diet: the “mass” product ripens around the same time, high-quality “schlunka” specimens - both rik and repeat (or It happens that there are more than three rocks).

It’s cool that two hams made from the same pig, as strange as it sounds, can have a different thickness and relish - but it depends on which side the pig was lying on. On that side, where it lay more often, it was dry.

“When it comes out” the jamon looks like it’s bad. The Spaniards themselves love to spread jamoni in their kitchens. And in traditional Spanish chamonerias (including a restaurant, a wine room and a grocery store), pork rind is the basis of the menu and an invisible part of the interior.

Cortadori ta hamoneri

Jamon soon loses its embellishment - it is the same thing that is eaten, even for which it was prepared. The food is cut before cutting. The whole ritual is spectacular and very difficult. It’s a mysticism to call Volodyuchykh cortadores. Slice the jamon on a special wooden stand. hamoneri. This is a special manifestation: a demonstration of the sweetness of the jamon and the mastery of the cortadora. Zbroya cortadora - special knives with a long, thin blade and a short, stiff blade.

Place the tip on the hamonera and “cut” it with a knife with a short blade - cut it with your hands and remove the skin and fat until the meat appears. Then cut the jamon with a long knife into thin, narrow slices, not exceeding 6-7 cm, with a small amount of fat around the edges. There, when it is no longer possible to cut thinly, you will again need a short cut of meat that has been lost, and a brush will be needed for hot herbs, broths and soups.

It’s not difficult to save the slab (as long as you’ve already started cutting it): it can be hung under the kitchen counter, and it can be saved until you repeat the roku (the spatula - until the roku), giving your booth a Spanish flavor.

Ham in the national cuisine

In Spain, jamon is not an object of worship, but something that goes without saying. The greatest sales - before all the secular and religious saints - are from Christmas to Valentine's Day. And during the period between the saints, the Spaniards buy paleta and lomo with a lot of water.

Classic strain with jamon jamon with diney(jamon con melon): game on contrasting corned beef and sweet pork, olives, herbs, and syringa sublimely enhance the taste of the jamon. Wine with vegetables - eggplants, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, green sauerkraut, as well as greased potatoes and paste. From the drink until the end of the day, serve red dry wine and beer (preferably Spanish).

Jamon is a tender essence: your squash will literally melt in your mouth. Therefore, if you want to add it while it’s hot, you need to do it at the last moment - so that the fat melts, imparting a unique salty taste to the herb.

Meat is cured in a variety of ways in many national cuisines. Incredibly, the most popular product in this category is Spanish jamon.

Jamon is translated from Spanish as "okist". Tim is no less, in the whole world under this word they are waving in front of us in front of the delicacy of drying ocysts, which are cut into the finest, most evocative slices. The master of cutting jamon is called a cortador. The process itself is a simple ritual: the steak is placed on a stand (jamonera), cut with a knife with a short blade and the skin is removed. Meat and ham that are left over are vikorista for hot herbs.

The Spaniards have been preparing chamon for two thousand years. The main reason for this method of preparation is the need to carefully preserve meat, and the unique savory fruits have become a popular addition. The saplings came out even alive, and the mandrivniki immediately took him with them on the road.

The two main types of jamon are - jamon serranoі jamon ibérico. The first thing to try is to eat white pigs, which eat mixed feed, and this is an inexpensive delicacy for every day. Jamón Iberico– a road type of jamon made from the strain of black Iberian pigs. Harvesting and growing such pigs is time-consuming and expensive, so Ibérico jamón is more expensive than Serrano jamón. The native Spaniards enjoy serrano jamon on weekdays, and only the great saint allows them to buy Iberian jamon.

The Jamón Museum is located near Madrid. Here you will not see rare exhibits under the glass windows, in the interior you will find steaks, shanks and kowbasis. The guides at the Jamón Museum in Madrid are people in big hats who will show you all the subtle nuances of preparing the famous Spanish shank.