Does good jamón has to be expensive?

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When it comes to buying jamón, if you are not an expert on the subject, several doubts arise. Normally, if there is one thing you don’t hesitate about, it is how much you want to spend, that is, your budget. But obviously, you are concerned that it should be good and, of course, that you should like it. From Enrique Tomás, we know that both things can go perfectly together, that is, good qualityThe assessment of the quality of Iberian ham/jamón is based... More and an affordable price. We answer your question: Does good jamónThe head of the ham is the front part where the hoof is loca... More have to be expensive? It’s a myth! We explain why the best jamón for you does not have to be the most expensive. The most important thing is that you like it and therefore, that you feel pleasure when eating it, whatever the price you have paid for it.

Why and when do you need jamón?

If you like jamón, you don’t have to be an expert to order it in our stores, but you need to know what you need it for and when you plan to eat it. If that is clear, and you know what you want to spend, that’s it, you don’t need any more!

It is not the same to buy for yourself as for a dinner with friends, for dinner with your partner, for a gift or for your children’s snack at recess. That is to say, you have to take into account the use you are going to give it, do you want to include it in everyday recipes or as the protagonist of a tapas at home, or maybe to impress someone? When all these answers are clear to you, it becomes easier and easier to choose. There are as many possibilities as formats, whole piece or sliced, jamón cubes, jamón shavings, slicesIn the premises of Enrique Tomás when someone says the word..., boneless… and of course you have a wide range of prices and types of jamón.

We recommend that you consult our blog post: The gastronomic use of jamón.

The keys to choosing a good jamón according to your preferences

Types of jamón

Does good jamón have to be expensive? Not necessarily, it has to be the one you like the most. That is why we will tell you about the types of jamón that exist according to their origin, diet and curing time. In the world of jamón, this is what determines its “qualities” and prices, but as the expression “to each his own” says, this does not mean that the one that is catalogued as being of the highest quality is the flavor you are most passionate about.

Let’s get to it!

Jamón Gran Reserva: This jamón comes from the white pig and is commonly known as Serrano jamón. With a delicious flavor, it is what we consider to be the first step in jamón quality. In the curing processWhen we talk about curing in gastronomy we are talking about... we maintain enough fatThe bacon of the ham/jamón is the layer of fat that covers ... More so that the jamón can be cured for 18 months, exceeding the curing time of the rest of the Serrano jamóns on the market.

Jamón Ibérico: This jamón comes from the Iberian pigThe pig is a wonderful animal that is part of the famous Med... but, due to its genetics, weight, etc., the farmer decides to raise it on a farm. There it is fed with fodder and cereals. Then, in this case, at Enrique Tomás we cure it in saltSalt is an essential ingredient in the curing of jamón, as ... More for approximately 24 months.

Jamón ibérico cebo de campo : In this case, the Iberian pig has lived on a farm, but also in freedom, grazing in the countryside, being able to feedIberian pig feed should be of high quality and consist of a ... More on some wild herbs and fruits and acquiring some qualities that will make it a better jamón. Even so, it must be taken into account that the basis of its diet has been provided by feed and cereals. Its curing time is also around 24 months.

Jamón de Bellota ibérico (50% iberian breed): Iberian acorn-fed jamón, on the other hand, come from pigs that have spent the montanera in the pasturelandThe Iberian Pastureland is a type of ecosystem made up of ho..., where the pigs are released in freedom and feed on acorns and other fruits. Thanks to the ability of these pigs to infiltrate the fat into the muscle, thanks to this type of feeding and the activity they do during these almost five months, their front and hind legs acquire those characteristics that make their meat so juicy and delicious.

Jamón de Bellota ibérico (100% iberian -purebred) : The one popularly known as “Pata Negra”. This jamón has done everything we have explained in the previous point, but it meets a very important and specific requirement: it is a purebred Iberian pig, i.e., from a 100% Iberian father and mother. It is the only one that can be considered 100% Iberian and, for this reason, it is the most prized and the most expensive too.

Jamón (hind leg or paleta (front leg?

Of all the types of jamón, there is also jamón and shoulder. To choose between these two formats, the first thing to bear in mind is that the jamón corresponds to the pig’s hind leg, while the shoulder is its front leg. This makes them different in size, flavor, ease of slicingThe cutting of ham is a skill that requires a lot of dexteri... More and price. The jamón is larger than the shoulder, while the latter is smaller, and for this reason it usually has a more intense flavor because its meat is closer to the bone. In terms of ease of cutting, jamón is easier to handle due to the greater abundance of meat and anatomy. And if we refer to the price, the jamón is more expensive than the shoulder, simply because being larger in size it weighs more and has more meat.

More information in: Differences between jamón and shoulder -paleta

Whole (bone-in) or sliced?

Some of the differences to take into account when choosing between whole or sliced jamón are as follows:

The time of consumption: While the piece should be consumed from 15 to 21 days approximately, sliced jamóns can last up to 6 months or more in the refrigerator.

Space: Depending on the space you have in the kitchen, one option or the other will be more convincing. The envelopes take up almost no space while the whole piece should be placed in a jamón holderThe ham holder or stand is a tool used to hold the ham in or... More on any surface of your kitchen.

The number of diners: The number of people in the house influences the choice of jamón. To guarantee the good condition of the piece of jamón we must cut jamón daily, and as we have said. The packets of ready-cut jamón give you the freedom to consume them over a much longer period of time, without the need to consume jamón on a daily basis. Even so, bear in mind that the packets must be refrigerated and that if the opened packet is not consumed immediately, it must remain in the refrigerator again and be consumed preferably within the next 48 hours.

We tell you all the advantages of the sliced format so that you can choose the ideal format for you.

Does good jamón have to be expensive? Now you know the answer! If you are sure which jamón suits you best, enter our online store and buy it. In 48 hours you will have it at home, ready to enjoy!

Summary

Article Name

The good Jamón has to be expensive?

Description

Does good jamón have to be expensive? It's a myth! We explain you the keys to choose the jamón that best suits your tastes.

Author

Equipo Enrique Tomás

Publisher Name

Enrique Tomás S.L.

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