Jamon serrano have a lower loss than Iberian hams, because they are meats with less surface fat cover, but even so, once we discount the weight of the rind, the bone, the hoof and all the flavouring, roughly speaking, 50% of the total weight is used. And all this if you are skilled at slicing and know how to make good use of the ham, because if not, the yield is even lower.
Serrano ham yield
In an 8 kg piece, after cleaning the rind, the outermost fat, eliminating the hoof and the shank, it is very likely that the resulting amount of Serrano ham will be 4 kg. In the case of Duroc hams, even less, as they are fatter, and if we are talking about Iberian hams, the yield is even lower.
That is why many people choose to buy sliced jamon Serrano ham, where professional cutters, either by hand, with traditional cutting, or by machine, where the slices are longer and homogeneous in shape, know that the ham leg is going to be used to the maximum.
In our online ham shop, you can buy both sliced hams and whole pieces boneless and vacuum-packed, where you only have to open the envelope and eat or cut it yourself at home in the case of boneless hams.
How to make the most of a Paleta shoulder ham
In the case of pork shoulders (front legs) of white-coated pigs, the loss is greater. The reason for this is that much more fat accumulates on the front legs and the bone of the shoulder, in proportion, is greater.
Roughly speaking, we could say that we would use around 45% of the total weight of the shoulder. The "problem" with shoulders is that the pieces are not as homogeneous as hams and we can find pieces with a great difference in the amount of fat and this will influence the edible part.
Buying Serrano ham or pork shoulder ham
Everything explained above is for guidance only, as it will also depend on the diet, the breed or whether the pig has been in farms or running free in the countryside.
Duroc or Chato Murciano pigs, especially the latter, have a higher amount of fat than other non-Iberian pigs. It must also be said that Duroc Spanish Serrano hams are of higher quality thanks to this fat, especially the fat infiltrated in the meat, which gives the meat much more flavour, smell and juiciness.
It is a very particular decision to choose a ham or a shoulder. If we talk about the use of the piece, obviously in a cured ham leg you are going to get proportionally more. And if we take into account the texture, smell and flavour, you should know that shoulders have a more intense, stronger flavour, but without so many nuances. Hams, being heavier, have longer curing times, which means that the meat will have more differentiated and subtle flavours depending on the area where it is cut.
At Jamón Pasión you can buy hams and shoulders of the best quality and we are committed to 100% natural pieces, without preservatives that may alter the properties of the products.