Iberian ham is one of the jewels of Spanish gastronomy, appreciated for its unique flavor and quality, especially Pata Negra ham, the 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham, which is identified by the black flange around the hoof. If you are thinking about buying a ham and wondering how many envelopes you can get from a leg of Iberian ham, this article will give you all the answers you need. This information is exclusive for hams (the hind legs of the pig), the Iberian shoulders (front legs) have a lower yield that we will explain in another article.
Factors that influence the yield of Iberian ham
The yield of Iberian ham, that is, the amount of ham that can be obtained from a leg, is between 40% and 45% of the total weight of the ham and varies according to different factors, including:
- Type of ham
- Percentage of Iberian breed
- Cutting type
- Cut quality
- Iberian ham size
Type of Spanish Iberian ham
As an example, we are going to choose a weight of 8 kg for all categories of hams.
100% Iberian acorn-fed ham or Pata Negra ham: From pigs raised freely in the pastures and fed with acorns and natural grasses. This type of ham has a greater amount of external fat, resulting in an approximate lower yield than other Iberian cured hams. Ham weight: 8 kg.
- Ham Leg weight: 8 kg.
- Average Yield: 40%
- Ham envelopes obtained: Approximately 32 envelopes of 100 grams.
Iberian Cebo de Campo Ham: The pigs are raised outdoors in the countryside and fed on feed and pasture. The performance is very similar to the previous one, and may be slightly higher.
- Ham Leg weight: 8 kg.
- Average performance: 42%
- Ham envelopes obtained: Approximately 34 envelopes of 100 grams.
Iberian Cebo Ham: Pigs fed with feed and raised on farms. It offers slightly higher performance, being able to exceed 45% of the total weight.
- Ham Leg weight: 8 kg.
- Average performance: 45%
- Ham envelopes obtained: Approximately 36-40 envelopes of 100 grams.
All these percentages are approximate, since there could be small variations due to other factors. And always keeping in mind that the cutting of the ham is done by a professional who knows how to make the best use of the piece. It is not applicable to a domestic cut by an inexperienced person.
Percentage of Iberian Breed
Not everyone knows that the amount of fat, both external (covering, the one that surrounds the ham), and internal, the famous infiltration that we all look for in Iberian hams, and which is what gives this distinctive touch of aroma, flavor and texture of this exquisite product depends on the Iberian purity of the pork. 100% Iberian hams, whether acorn-fed, Cebo de Campo or Cebo, will always have a higher percentage of external fat, therefore less meat will be obtained from them. With 50% Iberian hams, a higher yield will generally be obtained.
Type and quality of cut
There are basically two types of cuts:
Iberian ham sliced with a knife, manually. This type of cut can give greater performance, since if the cutter is skilled, he can access all the nooks and crannies of the ham and obtain meat in the most difficult areas, even if it is to make ham cubes.
Machine-sliced Iberian ham. For this cut, the first thing to do is clean the ham externally well and bone it so that it can be introduced whole into the cutting machine. They are more uniform slices, all practically the same. In this case, by discarding the entire bone, small cubes of ham are not obtained from the hock area, the part immediately before the hoof.
As far as the quality of the cut is concerned, we are referring to the ability to cut it, since an experienced person will undoubtedly be able to obtain greater performance from the ham legs, whether with knife cutting or cleaning prior to cutting. cut by machine, so as not to discard more than desired.
Size of the Iberian ham
The size of the jamon iberico also has a great influence on the yield, the usable part. The smaller it is, the lower the yield, as the bone is practically the same in a 6kg ham as in an 8kg ham, so the percentage of meat will be proportionally lower the smaller the ham is and vice versa. Ham connoisseurs say that the best weight for a ham is between 8 and 9 kg.
In the Pata Negra 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham category, from 9.5-10kg, they tend to have much more external fat than other smaller weights, bearing in mind that this category, in itself, already has more fat than the rest; a fat with an exquisite flavour and aroma.
Conclusion
The yield of Iberian Spansih cured ham depends on the type of ham and other factors such as the cut, the Iberian purity of the pig or the size of the piece.
By choosing a 100% Iberian acorn-fed acorn-fed ham, you will obtain a higher quality product, although with fewer sachets compared to the Iberian cebo ham.
We have left for a different article the rendement of Iberian shoulders, as it differs quite a lot from hams, both for its percentage of fat and for the structure of the bone of the piece.
At Jamón Pasión you can buy Iberian ham sliced and packaged in vacuum packs. Depending on the product, some will be cut by knife or by machine, depending on your choice, and others, only by knife or only by machine. As we always send our hams from the place of manufacture, the manufacturers offer different services. However, all our hams are sliced and packaged at the same time you buy them.