Sometimes we can find that ham, whether Iberian or Serrano, gives off a somewhat rancid flavour. The reasons are not always the same, in fact, it only happens for two reasons that we are going to explain in detail below in this article from the Jamón Pasión Blog. If a ham has a rancid taste, a priori, it is not a sign that it is in bad condition and it is very easy to eliminate this unpleasant taste.
Why does ham taste rancid?
The main reason why an Iberian ham or Serrano ham may have an unpleasant flavour is because the rind and the yellowish surface fat have not been cleaned properly. It is very common that people who are not regular consumers of ham do not remove enough of the outer layers, which are the ones that suffer this problem when exposed to the air, but this is a normal process for any type of meat that undergoes a curing process.
The other and less common cause, although it can happen, as any food that undergoes a curing process in the raw state is exposed to undesired maturation, is that the ham is actually bad, and in this case it should not be consumed. The difference is that this rancid taste does not only affect the outer layers, the rind and the surface fat, but also the meat.
How to eliminate the rancid taste of ham
In the first case, which occurs in 100% of the pieces, whether it is a Serrano or Iberico Spanish ham, the solution is quite simple:
Simply remove the rind and the yellowish layer of fat, not only from the top, but also from the sides. It is not necessary to clean the whole ham if it is for prolonged consumption, as this outer layer has the function of preserving the meat in optimum conditions. Ideally, a couple of centimetres of the cut of ham should always be left exposed, as otherwise, in each slice, you will also cut off part of the outer layer that is rancid.
In the following images you can see a ham that has just been sliced without cleaning and another that has been cleaned.
A very common reason why cured ham may have a flavour that is not what it should be is that the same knife is used both to remove the outer layers and to slice the ham, so that remains of these rancid parts remain on the edge of the knife and are transferred to the slice. Use the ham knife only for slicing, and use another knife with a wider blade to clean it. If you are going to use the same knife, clean it very well after removing the impurities from the ham.
Recommendations for keeping ham at home
It is also not recommended, and it is very common, to use a piece of fat that has been removed to protect the cut of meat, but this part, which is already rancid, will deteriorate with each passing day, transferring the smell and flavour to the ham. Ideally, you should simply cover it with cling film, and in any case, you can also scrape off a little of the good white fat with the blunt side of a knife and spread it, as if it were butter, on the part of the cut.
Bear in mind that a Serrano ham or an Iberian ham, even when they are already in your home, must continue to be well maintained, as the curing process is still active, and it is not at all advisable for them to be exposed to sunlight or near external heat sources, as this would deteriorate the product. Likewise, you should always store them without the cover, so that they can "breathe".
Buying a ham with a guarantee
The easiest way to avoid that a ham is not in the best conditions for its use is to buy it in a trusted shop, whether it is a physical shop or an online ham store.
At Jamón Pasión, we keep all our hams in the drying rooms of origin, where they remain in the best conditions of humidity and temperature until we send them to your home. Once received, you just have to keep it as we have explained.