Serrano Ham
Serrano Ham is produced in every region of Spain, and is a dry cured leg of a "Landrace" a breed of white pig.
The legs are cured in a traditional way by rubbing in sea salt in to the surface for several days in a cool environment to kill any surface bacteria, and then packing in salt for approximately two days per pound weight.
The salt draws moisture out of the meat the and in this process reduces the weight of the leg by up to twenty five per cent.
The name Serrano is derived from Sierra or mountain as traditionally the hams were produce in mountain regions where the air is generally cooler that the coast which reduced spoilage.
After the legs have spent two to three weeks in the salt depending on there weight, the salt is washed off and the hams are hung in well ventilated sheds (secaderos) and left to cure from between six to eighteen months again depending on the size.
The process is similar in most respects with traditional dry curing methods used a round the world, and regional differences come from the breed of pig used and the curing time, as well as any extra ingredient added to the salt to make the curing mix.
In rural Spain many families still raise a pig each year, and use a cooperative system where the pigs are raised and kept on a central pig house, and each family owns its animal and contributes to the cost of running the pig house.
Then at the beginning of winter about early November the pigs are killed. This fiesta is called the "matanza"; a time for a celebration in which all the family participated.
Note that in Spanish the word for "to slaughter" is sacificar showing a distinct difference in attitude in respect for the animal than the word slaughter suggests.
Away from the domestic production of Serrano ham modern technology allows traditional flavours to be produced in quantity by the control of the environment in the factory production sheds.
The production process of Serrano ham includes four stages:
o The fresh leg of pork is covered with sea salt, which stays on the skin for approximately ten hours to a day per pound of meat. In a room with a high level of humidity, the salt stabilizes the ham at a cool temperature.
o The salt slowly and steadily soaks in to the meat, gradually drawing a lot of the original moisture from the meat.
o The fresh meat slowly changes into ham as the outside temperature increases, and the amount of humidity decreases.
o In the curing phase, the curing process is completed, and the ham slowly develops its unique taste and texture, the properties required before suitable for marketing.
The certification T.S.G., Traditional Specialty Guaranteed. Is a system the European Union uses to protects the authentic taste of Serrano ham and guarantees to the consumer that it refers to a traditional, authentic and genuine product.
The only way to be sure it is genuine Serano is to check that it bears the label of the Consorcio del Jamon Serrano Espanol with a unique control number. The "S" in the shape of a ham branded as a seal on the skin of the ham is the guarantee that the Serrano ham has passed the high standards of the inspectorate.
To qualify for a certificate each ham has to be
o Produced in Spain
o A minimum of 252 days air dry cured
o Each leg individually inspected to conform to the standard
o A fat cover minimum of 10 mm.
o Must have decreased 34% from its fresh weight
o It must be produced by companies that pass the quality checks that are periodically undertaken by the inspectors
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