It is very common, especially in bars and restaurants with traditional Spanish cuisine, to see a lot of hams hanging. Do you know the reason for this custom? There are several reasons, some historical and others for the good maintenance of the meat of the ham leg.
In this article I am going to tell you about this peculiar practice and you will be surprised by the origin of its use in the Iberian Peninsula in the 10th-14th centuries, when Spain was not even formed as a State yet.
Hanging the Spansih ham: Origin
Whether it is an Iberico ham or a Serrano ham, we all have in our minds the image of entering a traditional Spanish restaurant and seeing a multitude of hams hanging from the top of the hoof, and nailed to the opposite end, the small plastic umbrella, known as a "chorrera", which has the function of collecting the fat from the ham.
If we go back to the Iberian Peninsula in the 10th-14th centuries, we find a territory in which Christians, Jews and Hispano-Muslims lived side by side. Being a period of Muslim rule, the Christians followed their customs inherited from the former Hispania, where the consumption of pork, including ham, was a well-established culinary practice from the time of the Roman Empire.
With the subsequent reconquest of the peninsula by Christian kingdoms, this community began to become predominant and to impose its cultural customs, especially with the expulsion of the Jews in the 15th century. To avoid expulsion, they began to cook pork and use pork lard instead of oil, so that the houses would smell of pork, and they even hung cured hams at the entrances to the houses to pass unnoticed by the Inquisition.
Sapnish Ham drying sheds
If you have never been able to visit a ham drying room, I can tell you that they are impressive, not only inside, with hundreds and hundreds of hams hanging, but also because they are usually located in natural settings and at a considerable height above sea level, where the temperature and humidity conditions for curing Serrano ham or Iberian ham are ideal. A clear example of this is one of the most renowned hams in Spain, the Jamón de Trevélez, a Serrano ham whose emblem bears the legend: "Awarded by Her Majesty Queen Isabella II in 1862".
Keeping the cured ham in good condition
The historical part aside, cured ham is hung for a number of reasons:
-Hams need to breathe, and hanging allows them to dry slowly and evenly, which helps concentrate the unique flavours and aromas that make them so prized.
-It also helps to prevent moisture build-up, which reduces the risk of unwanted micro-organisms and bacteria that can affect the quality and safety of the product.
-During the drying and maturing process, the fat slides from the narrowest part, from top to bottom, towards the tip, and helps the whole ham to be impregnated with the desired aromas and texture, achieving a balanced Spanish ham.
Keeping ham at home
It is obvious that you cannot get the conditions that exist in the ham drying rooms at home, unless you live in the countryside, in a mountainous area and have a cool place, away from sources of heat and in semi-darkness, such as a cellar or a loft, but following these recommendations, you can help a lot to keep the cured ham in good condition:
-If you have just bought, for example, an acorn-fed ham or an acorn-fed iberico pork shoulder and you have already received it, the first thing you should do is remove all the wrappings, the ham needs to breathe, if you keep it with the food paper and the cotton cover, unwanted odours and microorganisms may appear that will affect the quality of the meat.
-If you are not going to consume it immediately, hang it in a place as far away as possible from direct sunlight and heat-emitting appliances. It is a very good idea, if it is going to be hung for a few weeks, to brush it with sunflower oil, which is more neutral; never olive oil, as it has a much stronger flavour and smell, which can affect the taste of the meat.
-If you are going to eat it immediately, just put it in the ham holder and cover the part you have cut with a sheet of the same fat you removed when cleaning it. Bear in mind that this bacon should be changed regularly, as it will get old and rancid. A very good idea is to scrape some of the bacon with the blunt side of a knife, as if it were butter, and spread it on the cut side. Then, just cover it with a cotton cloth dropped on top.
Buying Spanish ham in an online shop
Nowadays, buying an Iberian or Serrano ham online is even better than buying it in a large supermarket, as the hams are hung in the drying rooms until the moment of purchase, where they are at the perfect temperature and humidity. In large supermarkets there are a lot of lights, spotlights and catering machinery on display, which makes the temperature rise.
At Jamón Pasión, all our hams are sent directly from the factory, in the same place where they are produced, where professionals take care of them during their long maturation period, which can last up to 48 months in the case of 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham.
You should also know that the price is different and you can get cheaper hams as there is no middleman in the process of selling the ham.