My relationship with Spanish jamon (ham) started with a Wall Street Journal article on July 20, 2004, the day of my husband’s red-eye puddle jump from his genetics conference in Seville. I took a coffee break with the WSJ after dropping the kids off at school.
“Aged in cellars for up to three years, the deep red flesh of jamon iberico has a nutty flavor because the pigs gorge themselves on acorns.”
When can I try this jamon iberico??
He made it past the canine sniffers in the customs line,
… unaware that he was one of those law-abiding Americans turned international ham smuggler and that his innocent transgression could land him a 10-year prison sentence and a $50,000 fine.
Destroy the evidence.
That was my solution, a mid-morning ethereal moment of palatal delight, letting a translucent slice sit on the tongue, reaching body temperature for the ultimate release of flavor. Then another slice…. and another.
The 2021 holiday season needed a pick-me-up writ large. With jamon iberico now legal but over budget, we settled on a whole 15-pound jamon serrano to share with our Chocolate Cheese Party crowd of 35-40 neighbors and friends. The omicron surge whittled that down to 8 guests.
Too much of a good thing.
Thirteen pounds of jamon serrano remained after the party, stored in a wrapping of its own fat. The whole family honed their carving skills. And savored this delicacy to the heart’s content and then some. And packed jamon serrano for themselves. We added jamon serrano to sauteed greens, grilled cheese, pizza, salads, quiche.
At the end of January, Bob and I watched Olive Oil Spanish Kitchen to learn how to draw a conclusion to a 9-pound portion in the basement fridge. Taking turns over 6 hours, we processed slices into 6-ounce packages, gifted many to friends who could not join the party, mailed more to our children and stashed the last pound for us.
Honestly, I never tire of the Jamon Serrano,
…good right to the bone…don’t forget the bones are not for the dogs! Make a perfect buttery-rich stock in which to simmer cannellini beans. Each presentation of jamon serrano is a celebration!
Photos by SAM and Bob Steiner, Dec 2021 to Jan 2022
