Development and healing
Development and healing of Iberian ham
When the Iberian leaves open range, having done its effect acorn, the killing is done. Less than 21 months on average from birth. And, as any pig, the Iberian also takes full advantage. Therefore get sausage, pepperoni, sausage, meat, ... and, of course, the star product: the ham.
Being the ham product that requires more and better preparation, will on its process, which will focus on the following explanation:
First the ham is branded with the week of slaughter and cut through a V notch cut known as ham.
It gets salted in stacks of no more than 8 hams and interspersed with coarse salt for about 1 day per kg of weight, temperature and humidity. After this period, the ham is washed with cold or warm water to remove external salt. Ham will not be in contact with salt for the rest of the process.
He moved to the cameras, which will be between 35 and 60 days at low temperature and high humidity. There are naturally occurring homogeneous distribution throughout the piece of salt absorbed, and starts the water loss that will provide consistency.
The next step is to dry or cure. This will move to a room where they hang individually and with a uniform orientation (north-south). During a period ranging between 6 and 9 months, ham should sit here with conditions of temperature (between 15 and 30 degrees) and humidity. It is essential to avoid sudden temperature changes. In denominations of origin of Iberian ham control is performed manually. The artisan opening, closing or setting screens to get the right conditions for the evolution of the ham. During this time sweat ham (especially in summer) and was coming directly from the acorn fat spreads throughout the muscle.
Finally, the ham must be aged or mature. Then moves to the cellar, where he remained between 6 and 18 months, as determined by their weight, appearance and quality. Here mature at a controlled temperature only varies between 10 and 20 degrees and humidity around 70%. It is at this stage that on the outside of ham with a layer of fungus grows, peculiar to each well, which help to stabilize the fat, rounded texture and defining its particular aroma.
Finally, the hams are soaked, tested one by one, ham experts, through the introduction of the cove. A bone to which the ham is punctured by two different places and you smell to appreciate the aroma and graded according to quality.
Throughout this process, the ham will have lost over 30% of their initial weight.
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Although cured ham in some regions is called ham salty, good Iberian ham should not be salty. The taste of good ham is slightly sweet, never bitter, and not too salty. Only in very cured ham salty taste is more pronounced. |
