Can’t wait to taste it!
Any chance of shipping this week?
Yes! I return from Boston tomorrow night late and will ship some out on Wednesday after I unload the shipping container.
Cross posted from the Gourmet Thread
Finally Great News!!
EVERYTHING HAS CLEARED CUSTOMS AND IS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO!! DELIVERY TO ME WEDNESDAY AM!!!
I just finished arranging for the container to be offloaded and put on to a truck so I can receive and unload it. As soon as I have it in I will start shipping out the last orders.
Jamones are in and I have already sent out the first batch. I did not ship any to the west coast or southern States yet as I was waiting on some shipping boxes that will give a little added protection in shipping.
Jamoneros and jamon knives are in the container and will be available as well as soon as I get my hands on them! I will have them posted on my website later today.
Thank you all for your patience!!
UPS has notified me that my ham will be delivered today. I actually had a dream about it last night. I have never sliced one of these but I have a stand and knife all ready. I watched a video on how to slice it so hopefully it won’t be too difficult.
Is Tempranillo the classic pairing to enjoy with the jamon?
Yes, Tempranillo is the classic wine to pair with Jamón, I would recommend a nice one produced under the brand Veleta!! 
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In regards to cutting the Jamon a few pointers.
- KEEP YOUR FREE HAND AND FINGERS (and children) AWAY FROM THE BLADE OF THE KNIFE!!! Sharpen the blade often.
- Try to maintain the knife relatively flat with just a slight tilt.
- Cut using the sharpness of the blade, not brute force.
- I generally slice towards myself, but I keep my distance from the knife.
- Use a knife with a strong serrated blade to cut through the rind.
- Use shorter even strokes rather than long ones.
- Small bite sized pieces are fine, large thin pieces are for experts…your goal is only to eat the Jamón.
- When you cut away the rind and fat I like to put it in a small pan and render the fat, pour into a jar or container and then after you have finished cutting for that day, brush the exposed meat with the rendered fat. That will seal the meat better than placing the fat slices on top. it is the same fat you cut away, so it won’t hurt anything.
- You can also just buy some lard and slather the exposed meat area as an alternative. The key is to keep it from loosing a lot of moisture and drying out.
- Always start with the flat side of the Jamón first, it will dry out faster. Save the larger fatter side for later.
- All the scraps are excellent to cook with (I don’t personally use the rind but I do try to squeeze the fat out.)
- KEEP YOUR FREE HAND AND FINGERS AWAY FROM THE BLADE OF THE KNIFE!!!
- I don’t have Jamón covers yet, so utilize an old kitchen towel that doesn’t have a lot of lint in it. It will get greasy…the greasier the better. You can then use the bag that the Jamón came in to place over the top of the towel.
- No there is no hoof. the USDA FSIS does not allow the importation of Jamon with the hoof attached. You have the bone-in, but no hoof.
- KEEP YOUR FREE HAND AND FINGERS AWAY FROM THE BLADE OF THE KNIFE!!!
- ENJOY your Jamon, eat it often and serve it to others, use it in cooking, or as a ready to eat tapa, just enjoy it!
El jamón ha llegado!
For those who need help in learning how to cut this sucker, this video was very detailed
I still don’t know where I’ll get to store this thing, as I know Jen has zero interest in seeing an animal leg bone out in the open for weeks
Nola - if it remains unopened, how long can it last? I might be the only person eating it in my house, so I will likely have to setup an event where more can enjoy it! Should have bought the stand right away.
Don’t cut it until you have the stand and knife. Leave it in its original packaging until then. Afterward, save the first big chucks of fat you cut away to cover up the leaner meat when not in use. A few sheets of shrink wrap (Saran or similar) over the fat cap and finally a kitchen towel over the whole thing.
Should keep the missus happy.
I’ve just been staring at this thing for a few days. Watched several videos. I bought a jamonero, but I’d rather not invest in another specialty knife. Is it stupid to even consider using our long sharp serrated bread knife? I figure I can keep the jamon cool in the wine cellar under saran wrap and a towel, but not indefinitely? I had to laugh at the nutrition label: “Servings…Approximately 248.” That’s 25 of my best friends for 10 great parties (or vice versa, I don’t have that many friends).
There was a jamon being served at the La Paulee grand tasting, I wish I had paid better attention. Delicious though!
Thanks Nola, I think this will be the summer of ham. Also, I’ve read a bit on the difference between Serrano and Iberico hams. Do you sell both, or have an opinion?
I will share a few things after a few days of ownership.
The specialty knife makes a huge difference.
There is definitely a learning curve for slicing.
The ham has an odor. I keep it locked in my wine cellar. I can guarantee my wife would not be happy if I left this out in our kitchen. When I walk down to the basement now, my dogs races down ahead of me and waits at the cellar door.
The tip about rendering the fat and painting it over the exposed meat is brilliant.
The Jamon will last for months.
Jorge is correct. The only difference is I have used the save the fat and put it on top and it is cumbersome, falls off etc. I don’t you any plastic wrap over the Jamon, IMHO you want the Jamon to breathe but not dry out. I really recommend rendering the fat and saving it to coat the Jamon. if you don’t want to go through that then buy some lard, keep it in the frig and put a nice layer over the meat after cutting. The kitchen towel will get greasy…THAT"S WHAT YOU WANT. I don’t notice that much of an odor with the Jamon. My guess it is from being in the vacuum sealed bag and that will fade in a relatively short time. Storage in a wine cellar is great!
I have Stainless Steel Jamoneros and Knives on my website. Jamon Accessories
I absolutely use a serrated knife to cut away the rind, but would NOT recommend a serrated knife to cut the Jamon. You want the slices to be thin enough to see the knife as you are cutting through the jamon. The thinner the knife the better.
You will find the inner part of the Jamon harder. This is normal. Slice carefully and sharpen the knife as it gets dull. If you find that part too hard, cut it in a big chunk and use it for stews and soups!
We just flipped over our Jamon last night when some friends came over. Best ready to eat tapa in the world, but more than that, it is just as key to Spanish cooking as Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Let me help you out with the link Todd.
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For helpful hints see this thread http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=63101
So I opened my ham at Joe Wu’s house (Scott Manlin graciously did the carving, as I had no clue how) on Memorial Day, and took the rest home. I vacuum sealed it, trying to get the fat cap back on the one area that was cut (two other areas were not touched) and put it in the refrigerator. That was almost a month ago, and I’m wondering how long I can get it to last, as I’d love to serve it at our Champagne event in August, but I’m reading all kinds of contrasting info online - some say never refrigerate bone-in ham like this, others say go for it, some say cut it all up and vacuum seal the pieces, in the freezer, others say that’s too dry.
Should I keep it in fridge? Take it out and keep in a ‘cool dry place’, or is it ruined at this point unless I eat it soon?
Todd, it does not need refrigeration. My feeling is it will dry out faster in a frig. Drying out is the worst for the Jamon. Buy some lard and slater over the areas that are cut - the rest leave it be. I have a kitchen towel that’s specifically dedicated for my Jamon. It is greasy and just gives another layer of protection from the moisture evaporating off the meat. I put a second towel over the top of that one that looks a bit nicer.now, having said that drying out is the worst for the ham, even a jamon that’s dried out is still very usable in stews, soups and various recipes. Most Spanish households have a jamon sitting out year round.
Even when cut I can have it out? I put some of the fat over the open area, even though there are still the two ‘better’ sections untouched. I’ll pull it from the fridge if you think that’s better! Don’t want to open it and slather lard or oil on it as I already sealed it, unless you think it would be better to do so
No fridge! You Cheeseheaded FOOL!!!
No fridge… it is cured. You must have a hell of a food sealer. Mine is in my Jamon stand, on the counter ready to serve.
My sealer comes with a roll of plastic, so you seal one end, vacuum, seal the other - the leg BARELY fit in the sleeve
I am still loving my ham I received it is early may and we enjoy some tastes almost daily.
Do not touch your ham with your fingers to eliminate the possibility of mold
The mold is actually not bad for the Jamon either. During the curing process the whole Jamon is covered with mold. So… it is already seeded, it doesn’t come from your hands. When the jamones are ready to be packaged they are cleaned and greased up so the mold has a harder time to regrow, but it will not hurt your Jamon (or you) in the least.