The market · Meat · Southern Europe

Jamón

Spain's dry-cured ham, aged for one to four years. The finest, jamón ibérico de bellota, comes from black pigs fattened on acorns.

nutty · salty · sweet fat

What to do with it

Kenji Hara's Sourdough, 100% ryeJamón would give it depthIbu Sari's Beef rendangJamón would give it depthAna Etxarri's ChawanmushiJamón would season itRosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleJamón would soften its edge
Classics built on it
AndalusianSalmorejoTomatoes blended with bread, garlic and olive oil into a thick, cold cream, topped with chopped egg and jamón.No one here has made it yetAndalusianFlamenquínThin slices of pork loin rolled around jamón, breadcrumbed and fried into a long golden roll.No one here has made it yetCastilian and MadridSopa castellanaGarlic soup: stale bread and sliced garlic fried in olive oil with pimentón, simmered in broth, with an egg poached in each bowl.No one here has made it yetCastilian and MadridCallos a la madrileñaBeef tripe stewed slowly with chorizo, morcilla and jamón in a thick, sticky, pimentón-red sauce.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Jamón serrano
From white pigs; the everyday cooking ham.
Jamón ibérico
From Iberian pigs; nuttier and fattier.
Ibérico de bellota
Acorn-finished; the fat melts at room temperature.

If you can't find it

Spanish delis.

  1. 1Prosciutto
    The same weight
    You lose the nutty depth of a long cure.

Goes with

breadtomatomelonegg

Knowing it

Where to buy
Spanish delis, freshly sliced if possible; pre-packed slices should come apart without tearing.
Worth knowing
Serve it at room temperature so the fat turns translucent. Cook with serrano; eat ibérico as it is.

Kitchens that keep it in

Castile and Madrid — the high central plateau of Spain, the mesetaCastilian and MadridThe kitchen of the high, dry meseta: suckling pig and lamb roasted in wood-fired ovens, chickpeas and garlic soups for hard winters, and a capital that eats out, late and standing up.10 classics

More meat

MeatAndouillessmoky, spicy, porkyhotsavouryrichsalty3 classicsMeatBeef shinbeefy, gelatinousrichIn Beef rendang, Rendang, the Lagos way · 18 classicsMeatBeef sirloinbeefy, tenderrichIn Suya · 13 classicsMeatBone marrowrich, beefy, butteryrichNot cooked here yet