The Joselito Ham comes with its own instruction book. Receiving a Joselito Ham does not require the red carpet treatment, but there are some preparations you can make to best enjoy it. All good opening nights require a bit of planning. Lovers of good ham will know this: A Joselito Ham is a very special piece and requires some loving care and attention. It is a completely natural product, with no preservatives or additives, therefore it needs some special care and there are some instructions that need to be followed. With regard to cutting, you don’t need to be master cutter, but by following the instructions and with a bit of practice you too can obtain some delicious and almost transparent slices of ham. What you absolutely must have, if you don’t already have one, is a ham stand with an adjustable screw, which is essential in order to ensure that the hoof is well fixed, and to be able to cut safely.
Storing the ham is no small detail. Avoid exposure to sun and humidity, and also bear in mind the temperature conditions. If the ham is going to be finished within, approximately one month, it should be stored at 25°, any longer then store it at 15°. A common scene in Spanish shops, bars and restaurants is one of hams hanging from the ceiling of the establishment. It is not advisable for them to be stored like that for extended periods of time. This is only justifiable when there is a very high rotation of hams and constant sales.
Joselito ensures that the gourmet stores of up to 56 countries that sell their hams have suitable storage conditions, and therefore, when a Joselito Ham comes calling at your door, you should do the same. Ideally, you should store it in a pantry or cellar. A cool dry place,with natural ventilation if possible, and as little light as possible to prevent the fat from oxidising. Although seems obvious, it is totally inadvisable to smoke around the ham, as the fat become impregnated with the tobacco. The whole piece can be a double-edged sword. A freshly hand cut ham is without a doubt, the maximum delicacy, it conserves its texture and original flavour, however, if it is not done well the cut may prevent the piece from being used to its fullest and the ham is not enjoyed as much as it should be.
The first thing you need to do when your Joselito ham arrives home is decide when you are going to enjoy it. If you expected it to be consumed quickly, such as during the celebration of an event for example, we start with the cushion, by placing the piece with the hoof facing upwards. If on the other hand, you have decided that your family deserves to have a bit of the Best Ham In the World every afternoon and its going to be consumed at home and much slower, then it is better to start with the fore-cushion, on the opposite side of the cushion, which is more mature and likely to dry out sooner. In this case, you must place the hoof facing downwards in the stand.
As soon as you open the Joselito Ham, you will notice the balanced and intense aroma. You will find that it is a long and slender leg, thin boned and with a black hoof, and notice too the fluid-like aspect of the fat, with its shiny appearance, which melts as you touch it with your fingers. As you progress during the cutting and reach the meat, you will notice the marbled effect caused by the fat seeping into the muscle, a sign of the quality of acorn fed Iberian ham.
What do you need to do to achieve thin and almost transparent slices of ham? All the step by step instructions you need are available at Joselito.com and and also in a video tutorial, as well as the manual that comes in the box. These slices should never be longer than 5 cm, so that they just melt on the palate, and to obtain this effect the ham should be cut and served at a temperature of between 20 and 25°C.
Remember that the free hand, the one you use to remove the slices once cut, should always be above the blade for safety reasons. Tongs can also be used to place the slices on the plate. After removing the hardened skin and outside layers of yellow fat and just before reaching the meat, you will come across white and greasy fat, which you must keep as this will be used to preserve the ham. When you store the ham for the next cutting session, use these layers of fat to cover the surface and then tightly wrap the whole piece with plastic wrap to stop it from entering into contact with the air.
It is essential that the slices of ham are very thin, almost translucent and have mix of meat and fat (an edge of white fat on of each slice), so it is possible to appreciate all the organoleptic properties of the ham, as it is precisely this aromatic fat that gives the ham its flavour and which contains its healthy qualities, due to the high oleic acid content. There are numerous possibilities for making use of the fat, and it is highly regarded ingredient among the most renowned catering professionals.
The celebrity par excellence of the avant-garde and gastronomic revolution in cooking, Ferran Adrià, during the first edition of JoselitoLab, presented different suggestions for using the fat from Joselito Ham (video recipes available on the website), such as Joselito Oil or Diced Fat. Traditionally, the most popular use of ham, apart from placing slices on a plate, continues to be in broths, soups and stews made from the ham bone, and it is extremely well known that it has the ability to help cure colds, even though there is no official prescription that prescribes this. Ferran Adrià also proposes his personal Joselito Ham Broth. Even after finishing the ham and it seems that the bone has been completely stripped, it is still perfect for adding flavour to broths. Whereas the hoof should be thrown away.
By following the step-by-step tutorials, and with a good dose of goodwill, you will become practically an expert, but don’t forget to thinly cut the slices just before they are to be consumed, as it is a 100% natural product and might oxidise, if left out too long. Make the most of the versatility of the ham, which is suitable for snacks, lunches, dinner, etc. And remember that it is a good thing to follow the instructions, but the most important is that you enjoy it your way, however and with whomever you wish.
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