Choosing Your Serrano Ham

Orce Village is situated in the Granada province of Andalucia, a very typical white washed Spanish village in a rural location. The surrounding villages and townships all have their own "Carnicerias" or butchers, all of whom produce Serrano hams. Indeed as with most regions of Spain you will see Serrano hams hanging in shops, butchers, restaurants and markets. So with so many different types available how do you choose your ham and what are the differences?

Well, we have chosen the most authentic and flavoursome hams from the area and also a few from further a field based on quality and reputation. From "Bodega" hams to "Extra Bodega's" and "Anejo's".

Here we discover flavour types and textures between each ham.

Boneless Bodega ham:

Boneless hams always arrive vacuum packed. As with all hams the weight varies but usually around 5kg. These hams are ideal for functions as they can be machine cut so the all important wafer thin slices are easily achieved. Unlike full bone in hams these hams must be kept refrigerated. Our vacuum packed ham comes from the town of Maria the same as its bigger brother the "Reserva".

Serrano Ham Bodega:

This ham comes from our own village of Orce (Or-thay); it is produced by "La Carniceria de Julian" who also supplies many of the chorizos and other embutidos in our range. Curing is very consistent producing a mild flavour. The bodega ham is often used in tapas bars and tends to go well with the majority of accompaniments such as cheese, wine and olives. A good all rounder.

Serrano Ham Curado:

The Curado is produced in the nearby town of Huescar ("Wes-car"), home to "El Ovalo" Before choosing Ovalo we toured the curing house or "secadero" and were highly impressed with the cleanliness and business as a whole. Ovalo still hang their hams on knotted rope whilst curing as tradition is a key part of their family business. The Curado ham is left in salt slightly longer producing a slightly more intense flavour to that of the bodega ham. Texture remains the same, a good ham if you are seeking that extra flavour.

Serrano Ham Reserva:

A fantastic find from the town of Maria. Maria lies high up in the Sierras where dry winters are very cold, some of the best hams are produced here with visitors coming from all parts of Europe to buy these hams. Our Maria Reserva is a well balanced ham with low fat content; it is cured for 15 months resulting in a nice texture and after taste. Compared to the Curado and Bodega this ham has a stronger flavour but not too intense. Ideal with deep red wines and manchego cheese.

Serrano Paleta reserva:

The "paleta" is the front leg of the pig; this ham has all the characteristics of the Maria Reserva. The front leg is only cured for 12 months so why is it named "reserva"? Most front legs are cured for only 8 months because the leg is smaller and thinner, in some cases weighing as little as 3.5kg. Our paleta benefits from an additional 16 weeks hanging producing a stronger flavour. It is worth noting that all paletas will have a slightly more intense flavour to that of a full rear leg ham. Fat content remains low but is more streaky, texture is slightly more firm compared to a full ham but packed full of flavour.

Serrano Ham Extra Bodega Gran Reserva:

A rather long name for a lovely ham! This ham became available to us in late 2006. Produced by Ruiz Banos in the region of Trevelez this ham is one of the finest in our range. Texture is melt in the mouth with a unique aroma, cured for 16 months the ham possesses a flavour very different to that of the hams detailed above. The leg is also cut in a "V" this means the rind (but not the fat) has been removed which makes for easier carving. This particular ham caught our attention due to its aroma and ruby flesh, accompanied by a deep Ribera wine and extra virgin olive oil is the best way to serve. Ideal for those exploring higher up the range in search of texture and earthy flavours.

Alpujarras Reserva and Gran Reserva:

The final two hams carefully chosen to add to the range, these exceptional hams took some finding! As the name suggests these hams come from the Alpujarras region in Andalucia. The Gran reserva is stronger and cured for an additional 4 months to the reserva but both poses a melting texture, superb fat and quality aroma. Upon purchasing these hams (as with all) a small thin bone is inserted into the meat and withdrawn to test maturity and aroma. With both the reserva and grand reserva we were immediately struck by the intensity, lovely stronger hams, slightly more intense than the Maria reserva and extra bodega but texture is where this pair wins.

Serrano Ham Anejo Especial:

A very different ham again, the Anejo comes from the nearest large town of Baza ("Bath-a") as with our Curado ham the Anejo is still hung on knotted rope. Curing time is 22-24 months. Not an intensely strong ham as you would expect but stronger than the bodega, curado and reservas. For texture, this ham is the finest in the range - cut very thinly it almost rivals the texture to that of Iberico ham (although not the flavour) Prior to curing these hams are larger and fatter from specialy selected hogs to allow for the two year curing process. As with every ham they lose up to 35% of their pre cured weight, the result is a texture and flavour which is completely unique. Upon entering the curing house you can see the hams hanging in stages, being tested for maturity - an impressive secadero with equally impressive hams. Is this the finest ham in the range? Well, you decide but it's the ham always found in our kitchen!

If you would like further information on the Orce Serrano Hams range please email us with your question at info@orceserranohams.com

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