Anyone here have experience with Jamon Serrano or Parma ham?

[JVS]

So I'm seeing these hams for sale and they look great, but what kind of handling and care do they require? I don't want to blow $60 by getting a 14 lb ham and not know how to store it and serve it properly.

[Parche]

1. Pork You

:woohoo: :hi:

[JVS]

2. Go pork yourself

[hobbit709]

3. A little info about food handling of these from the USDA

Dry-cured hams may be aged more than a year. Six months is the traditional process but may be shortened according to aging temperature.

These uncooked hams are safe stored at room temperature because they contain so little water, bacteria can't multiply in them. Dry-cured ham is not injected with a curing solution or processed by immersion in a curing solution, but it may be smoked

[Heidi]

4. We buy Parma a few times a year, but certainly not a whole Parma ham.

We buy it pre-cooked. It's delicious, VERY thinly sliced, with wedges of cantaloupe or honeydew in the summer, along with a fresh green salad. This time of year, though, I'd just get a regular Virginia ham (if I could get a Virginia ham here, and I can't). :hi:

[JVS]

5. The Aldi is selling 6.5 kg of serrano ham for $60

From what I understand this stuff keeps at room temperature. I could be set for weeks with this.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

6. Parma ham = Prosciutto di Parma

I know a lot about it since I'm from that part of Italy and prosciutto is used in many recipes. First, there are different kinds of prosciutto (which is literally translated as 'ham' - in Italy, there is prosciutto crudo (raw, such as Parma) and prosciutto cotto (cooked, such as Danish ham and similar).

Within Italy, there are various types of prosciutti crudi. Prosciutto di Parma and its milder cousin prosciutto di San Daniele are both protected trademarks by the EU, in that only meats made within very specific Italian regions and with very specific swine and curing conditions can be called as such.

Prosciutto di Parma is made around the Parma region from swine that is fed on whey from the making of Parmigiano (parmesan cheese), among other ingredients. It is cured for up to 2 years under very specific climates and using only sea salt from the Mediterranean. We usually have prosciutto with some canteloupe or honeydew in the summer, twirled around grissini or as part of an appetizer tray of 'salumi' (that is, cold cuts). We also have prosciutto sandwiches (two slices of bread and prosciutto, sometimes with a little mayo, which is a bit more lemony in Italy.... yum! I had many lunches like that when I was a kid). If you buy a whole prosciutto, you will want to invest in a good slicer. Prosciutto is always sliced extra extra thin. You should cut away the outer layer and you should leave a thin margin of the white fat (which gives it a very exquisite flavor). As you cut closer to the bone, you can use chunks of prosciutto (which are harder to chew and thusly harder to eat) for cooking. You can make a great sauce for pasta by cutting the chunks into small cubes. Cook them at low heat and add a little heavy whipping cream. Let simmer and toss to pasta. You can also add some peas if you'd like.

I don't know much about the jamon serrano to be of help :(