Knowing the parts of the ham will help you to place it better in the ham holder depending on the use you are going to give it. Some parts are more tender, others have more or less fat infiltration and each has its own particularities in terms of texture and flavour.
Regardless of the type of ham, Iberian or Serrano, the parts will be the same. It is true that Iberian hams are more elongated, less convex and with a more stylised shank than Serrano hams, but the parts of which they are composed are identical.
The shank (jarrete) and the hoof are the only parts from which ham cannot be removed.
We will start, with the hoof facing upwards, with the shank.
The Jarrete of Spanish ham.
This is the part of the ham that is located between the shank and the ham hock. It is the part that, if you don't have a bit of skill or simply don't know it, you don't usually take advantage of. But it is an area with a high concentration of oleic acid, the main component of olive oil, especially in 100% Iberian acorn-fed hams; in fact, when you cut it, you can see how the oil oozes out.
It is one of the most intense and tasty parts of the cured ham, but also the most fibrous. So, depending on how cured it is, we can take slices or make small cubes for the preparation of succulent recipes with Iberian ham.
The cured ham's mace (Maza).
This is the most appreciated area of the cured pig's trotter, both for its ease of slicing, as it is the widest part, and for the texture and flavour of the meat.
It is located between the shank and the tip (hip) and is the area where the ham is most tender and juicy, thanks to the characteristic marbling of the Iberian ham, the infiltrated fat.
It is where all the nuances of the ham are best expressed in terms of taste, texture and smell, offering an intense red colour when cut and where you can appreciate its subtle nuances on the palate.
The "maza" is the part from which you are going to get the most meat, the part with the highest yield of ham.
The contramaza of the serrano ham.
Following the hoof upwards and in the direction from the hoof to the opposite end, the contramaza is located after the maza, just after the hip bone and where the ham begins to draw a descending line.
This area also contains a large amount of infiltrated fat, which makes it very tasty.
It is a slightly more cured part than the maza and narrower, as well as the most difficult area to cut, but the difference with the maza is really difficult to differentiate if you are not an expert.
The tip of the ham (Punta).
This is the opposite end to the hoof and the one that accumulates the most fat and salt due to the fact that the hams in the drying rooms and cellars are hung vertically from the hoof and the fat accumulates in this area.
The meat in this area has a very intense flavour, so it is recommended to cut smaller slices.
The "Babilla" of the Jamon.
It is located just below the ham, so if you turn the ham over with the hoof facing downwards, it will be at the top of the ham.
Here the meat of the Spanish jamon contains much less fat infiltration, so the meat is leaner. It is also drier than the ham's upper part, so it is always preferable to start the hams in this area, if the ham is not going to be consumed quickly, to prevent it from drying out more.
The slices are narrower and saltier, with much less fat, so I recommend that when slicing, you take a little more fat from the edges of the piece.
How to place the ham in the ham holder.
When you are going to buy an Iberico ham, whether it is a cebo, cebo de campo or acorn-fed ham, the parts explained above are the same, but depending on how quickly you are going to consume the ham, you should place it with the hoof facing upwards, where the mace would be exposed to the cut, or with the hoof facing downwards, in which case you would start cutting at the stifle.
At home, a ham will easily last us a month to consume, or a few weeks. In these cases, it is always preferable to start with the stifle, the most cured part, because if we do it from the stifle, when you say to turn it over, it may be too dry.
I leave you a link to our blog where you can see in more detail how to start cutting a ham at home.