The Greenwalds are giving this a practice run before moving the experience to the lake next year. LOL.
The photos first, then a note from Jorge.
The note from Jorge:
Jamón Serrano is the name of that style of ham. We used to eat it in different ways.
As a snack, in the mid-afternoon, as a side for breakfast, or in a dish, mostly like soups. We hardly ever ate it in thin slices, probably because it is so hard to cut in that way. We ate it mostly in thick pieces, maybe a 1/4 inch or so. My dad loved jamón serrano thick, about 1/2 inch; in that presentation you pretty much chew your way for the entire day!! 😅
We had a walk-in pantry, with double-height ceilings; the leg of ham hung from a natural rope (not nylon or synthetic) and after some time, the fat would begin to drip. It cast an odor that we just absolutely loved, until the fat began to turn stale. If I remember correctly, the fat will turn stale long before the meat goes bad. I do not remember the meat ever going bad.
A leg like the one you have would probably feed a family of 7 or 8 for about 6 to 9 months.
Once they started carving a leg, they would keep it hanging covered with a cheesecloth; it needs to breath. I don't know how it is kept on that stand it has there. The idea behind the method used at my Dad's was to let the leg air out and not touch anything so mould would not begin to grow.
Nowadays, people will probably freeze it. I don't know. Of course, our governess would have never ever considered such sacrilegious of a thing.
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