Jamon

Want to surprise loved ones with an unusual dish? Then make jamon for them. The recipe of this meat delicacy, recreated at home, of course, only vaguely resembles the original version of dried pork, but it still turns out incredibly tasty. No special ingredients are needed - just the right place and time to cook.

A slice of Spain on your menu

Hamon is sliced ​​raw jerked pork that has been pre-salted. Homeland delicacy - the Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula. It was there that many centuries ago they began to prepare in a special way the carcass of a pig fed on cork acorns. The last detail, by the way, is a very important condition, since the taste of meat depends on the feed. But if you do not want to feed the "right" pig and a year and a half for drying seem too long time for cooking jamon, then you can use the recipe of dried meat, adapted to home conditions.

Is it possible and how to cook jamon at home?

This jamon is prepared in three stages.

1. Two weeks pork ham, from which all fat is pre-cut, is salted in sea salt in a ventilated room at an air temperature of 0 to +5 degrees.
2. The meat is washed, dried and hung out in a room in which the humidity level and air temperature gradually increase. This phase takes several months, up to a year.
3. A specialist who knows all the nuances of the taste of jamon, pierces the meat with a needle, sniffs it, assessing the readiness.

In the conditions of a city apartment, it is unlikely that this preparation technology will be repeated. Therefore, lovers of pork delicacy have come up with several recipes for the so-called quick jamon. For him, first of all, you need to choose good meat. It is better if it is the leg of a young pig - then the delicacy will turn out a lot, although it will take much longer to tinker with it. And you can dry the loin - the portion will be significantly less, but after 7 days you will be able to enjoy the exquisite taste of meat.

Cooking:

1. Cut off the excess fat from the meat.
2. Liberally sprinkle the ham with salt.
3. For 2 weeks we leave in the pelvis in the attic. Periodically turn the ham so that it spreads evenly.
4. Wash away the remnants of salt, hang the pork from the ceiling.
5. We give to ripen for 6 months, increasing the temperature by 1 degree whenever possible once a week. During this time, the meat "sweats": it will leave the excess moisture and fat.
6. We transfer the ham to a cool place (on the balcony, for example) and leave for another 2-3 months.

Quick jamon: recipe with photos

A quick way to cook dried pork will be appropriate for those gourmets who want to try jamon, but do not have the opportunity to use the attic or basement.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of loin;
• 2 kg of salt (preferably sea);
• 1 kg of sugar;
• spice mix (coriander, bay leaf, pepper, garlic).

Cooking:

1. Pork rubbed with a mixture of salt and sugar.
2. Put the loin in a large wide bowl and press down with a load, leave it for 3 days.
3. Twice a day, turn the meat over and drain the liquid.
4. Dry the loin, blot with paper towels and rub with a mixture of spices.
5. Wrap the meat in cheesecloth, tightly rewind the rope and hang out for at least 4 days on the balcony. Better for 2-3 weeks to leave a delicacy to ripen.

Keep jamon need in the refrigerator. And it is desirable to eat for ... 4 years. And so that the cut of dried meat does not become chapped, it is recommended to grease it with melted fat - lard. But homemade butter is also suitable.

It is very important to chop jamon correctly. In Spain, for this there is a cortador - a specialist in meat, whose duties include cutting of dried pork. The master manages to make perfect slices with the help of a long and very sharp knife and hamoners - a special stand for meat. The "right" slices of jamon should be thin, almost transparent, so that the delicacy is almost melted in the mouth, leaving a divine aftertaste.

You can use the product as a snack, putting a slice of meat on a thin slice of white or rye bread, and as an ingredient in salads, soups and main dishes.

As for the connoisseur of painting a matter of honor - to visit the Louvre, so a gourmet needs to try a real jamon at least once in their life. The recipe for making the famous meat product at home is as close to the original as possible. So try making a meat delicacy yourself. Even despite some discrepancies with the real Spanish jamon, the appetizer will surely turn out very tasty.