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| COOKING
WITH SPANISH HAM |
FOOD
& COOKING ARTICLE |
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Article
researched and written by Orce Serrano Hams
 Cooking
with Spanish ham adds flavour to a multitude of recipes,
cured ham in Spain in often served as a tapa with an
alcoholic drink but Serrano ham is just as at home in
the kitchen as it is on the tapas bar. There are quite
a few dishes, both hot and cold that can be complimented
by good ham, some require the ham being hand carved
directly from the leg itself while other recipes call
for pre sliced ham for wrapping. Here we will discover
some classic Spanish recipe ideas as well as some rather
different and lesser known ideas for incorporating Spanish
ham into your cooking.
Serrano ham as an ingredient
There are various ways to incorporate Serrano ham
into recipes which will offer a real Spanish twist
to your dishes. Ham can be sliced in different ways
but the most common are hand carved slivers, strips
or diced pieces. The way in which you prepare your
ingredient will depend on the dish ie: when stuffing,
diced ham is far more workable, hand carved ham is
better for recipes that require that authentic touch
or when arranging an artistic display, as when carving
direct from the leg you yourself can determine and
cut the ham to required size and to a degree, its
shape. Vacuum packed ham also has its place, better
from the leg but when it comes to wrapping say, fish
fillets then the machine sliced ham certainly has
its role being more pliable and broader through the
slice.
However you intend to cook with your ham it is worth
bearing in mind that flavours do vary between mild
“bodega” ham through to “Gran reservas”
which are more intense. It may seem like sacrilege
to cook those ham slices but the results are truly
worth it!
Hot dishes
Serrano ham goes extremely well with chicken, the
flavour pairing is a real gastronomic experience so
much so that the Granada region of Spain has its very
own “Pollo Granadina” or Granada chicken.
The recipe uses diced Serrano ham which, when cooked
with the chicken, turns almost crispy and adds a mild
saltiness to what is essentially a very simple dish.
Staying with chicken, Serrano ham either diced or
cut into strips also works very well with tomato salsa
adding flavour to the delicious ‘Pollo con tomates”.
Chicken breast can also be stuffed with Serrano ham
and for the simple joint of pork even Christmas turkey
try draping some thin slices over the top of the meat
for an authentic bacon influence to your cooking.
Cooking with Serrano ham need not be complicated;
after all it is simply an ingredient, a compliment
or addition of flavour so whether you intend to serve
it crispy, mix with pasta or wrap up that fish fillet
Serrano ham is sure add a real hint of Andalucia to
your cooking.
Cooking with Iberico Ham
Cold dishes
As one of Andalucia’s most famous tapas you
are likely to receive Serrano ham in any Spanish bar,
either on its own or accompanied by bread and olive
oil or with fruit or nuts. One of the more famous
pairing is with melon; the Cantaloupe melon works
best pairing the sweetness of the fruit with the mild
saltiness of the ham, an ideal weekend breakfast!
Serrano ham is also used in a variety of salads adding
flavour to fresh summer lunchtime dishes. Manchego
cheese is another favourite as are grapes, figs, almonds,
cold smoked salmon and ripe vine tomatoes.
With cold dishes we also enter the world of Iberico
ham, the famous cured ham from pigs fed on “bellotas”
or acorns. This ham is expensive and rarely used in
cooking hot dishes. The flavour of Iberian ham is
very different to that of Serrano ham and as such
requires very simple pairing and accompaniments, at
50.00+ euros a kilo that flavour needs to be truly
savoured! Iberico ham works with seafood such as king
prawns, many salads and also the lightest of grillings
on a quails egg tostada, also try some iberico ham
shavings over a cold melon soup – delicious.
Which part is best?
As mentioned at the top of this page it may seem
rather odd to start cooking with your ham straight
away, after all, Spanish ham can be expensive and
one needs to enjoy all those flavours and aromas especially
when the ham is first cut into. A plump 8kg Serrano
ham will last for up to 6 weeks (see
ham storage) but during the latter stages
of its life the ham can still produce some moist meat.
The area around the “punta” or the top of
the ham opposite the hoof is the most difficult to
carve, it is from this area that, with a sharp boning
knife you can achieve thicker slices which can then
be chopped and diced for your recipes. This area also
tends to be slightly more intense in the flavour department
because the meat is narrow and any remaining salts
after the ham has been washed have travelled “south”
while the ham has been hanging.
Meat can also dry out during the latter stages, should
this be the case then you have the ideal opportunity
to remove and finely dice this part of the ham to
almost a breadcrumb consistency – great over
soups or sprinkle over your roast pork or chicken
for added flavour.
Cooking with Serrano Ham
The ham bone
There comes a time where the meat from every full
bone in ham will be exhausted however there is still
life in that old ham yet! Even the expert ham carvers
will tell you that it is impossible to remove 100%
of the meat – particularly around the hip joint
which is one the more challenging places to carve
from. What you will have left is a leg that will make
a unique and very flavoursome stock.
The best way to achieve a good stock from a full
ham bone is to divide it into thirds or quarters depending
on the size of your pan. The hoof will need to be
discarded but the remaining bone can be boiled up,
bagged and frozen for later use if required. Whilst
making your Spanish ham stock add some black peppercorns,
bay leaves, carrot, leek or onion to enhance the flavour.
Ham bone stock is a great basis for a mixed meat paella
and can also be used for broths, soups and of course
stews.
Health benefits
Serrano ham is easily digestible and contains high
levels of acidic and unsaturated fats which help regulate
cholesterol levels. It is an ideal food for a balanced
healthy diet due to nutritional properties. Each ham
contains vitamins B1 and B2, iron, phosphorus and
proteins. The fat content in Serrano ham is an important
factor effecting quality. Fat helps balance curing
and plays an important role in the result of a premium
quality ham. The fat surrounding the meat need not
be discarded and should be enjoyed as a flavoursome
part of the ham.
Other Spanish cured meats
There are other Spanish cured meats which deserve
a mention and are also great in the kitchen. Chorizo
is by far the most popular Spanish sausage and lends
itself to cooking very well indeed. Try chorizo braised
in cider with apple or a chicken and chorizo fry up
for lunchtime tapas. Pan fried chorizo also works
over spinach and is great with tomato salsas, the
humble chorizo also comes in various strengths so
you can choose how spicy you need a recipe to be.
Don’t forget the barbeque either; mildy cured
chorizo is delicious on kebab skewers with apple and
pork.
Pancetta is mildly cured belly pork (similar to streaky
bacon) and although salty is a good substitute for
fried bacon, try a tostada with fresh ripe tomatoes
to balance the flavours or add strips to pork and
liver dishes. Morcilla is a Spanish black pudding
made in sausage form, a famous blood sausage from
Spain morcilla is usually sliced and lightly fried
in olive oil but there are other ways to enjoy it
– Wrap morcilla in fresh pancetta and slow cook
for a melt in the mouth dish with a cinnamon twist
or use sliced in one of the most famous dished from
the north of Spain “Fabada Asturiana”.
Cooking with Spanish Ham
Enjoy . . .
No matter how you decide to cook with your Spanish
ham, enjoy the flavour, recipes from Spain by their
very nature are simple and let the ingredients do
the talking. Serrano or Iberico ham conjures a unique,
gourmet taste of southern Spain and are extremely
versatile so whether you are planning a roast, a salad
or an arrangement of Spanish tapas, enjoy your ham
and a true flavour of Spain!
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