Meat N' Bone has partnered with Fermin to bring the first authentic Serrano ham in the US, made from pigs bred, raised and processed entirely in Spain and cured for around 2 years.
Jamon Serrano comes from Iberian pigs who live and eat mostly indoors. Cured for around two years, it has a delicious full flavor and mild saltiness. Each ham is hung to dry in the cool, clean mountain air where it ages for 20-24 months.
HOW IS JAMON SERRANO MADE?
Fresh hams are trimmed and cleaned, then stacked and covered with salt for about two weeks to draw off excess moisture and preserve the meat from spoiling. The salt is then washed off and the hams are hung to dry for about six months. Finally, the hams are hung in a cool, dry place for 6 to 18 months, depending on the climate, as well as the size and type of ham being cured. The drying sheds (secaderos) are usually built at higher elevations, which is why the ham is called "mountain ham".
JAMON SERRANO VS JAMON IBERICO?
Spain produces some 40 million hams per year, yet there are basically only two different types of cured hams: Jamón Serrano, literally translated as “ham from the Sierra or mountains” (the majority of which are from the Landrace breed of pig) and Jamón Ibérico (Iberian ham) from pigs found on prairie-like land known as the Dehesa. The Dehesa once covered almost 90% of Spain but now only remains in the regions of Andalucía, Extremadura and Salamanca.
Jamón Serrano comes from the white pig. This pig is a hybrid that has been bred with many different breeds, and therefore not having the same quality as the Iberian pig, this product is cheaper to buy and accounts for the majority of hams sold in Spain. There are 3 main varieties of Serrano ham: Serrano Bodega, Serrano Reserva, and Serrano Gran Reserva. They all have a similar curing time, but no more than 15 months.