Spanish legs

Take a piece of pork, salt it and let it air dry for a few months or years. Slice and serve. Simple?

Take a piece of pork, salt it and let it air dry for a few months or years. Slice and serve.

Simple?

While the process of air dried hams is relatively simple it is a time honoured tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Each producer will have a unique technique or terroir in which to rear and cure their meats making that unique flavour. 

The ultimate champion of the Spanish dried hams are the Iberico bellota Pata Negra (bellota being Spanish for acorn). The black footed pig from the South West of Spain with a strict diet of fallen acorn from the oak trees in their fields. The process of salting, hanging and drying can take up to four years and cost in excess of £250 plus for a leg. The flavour of the fat is sweetened by the acorns resulting in a rich waxy meat which is high in mono unsaturated fat due to its diet it is actually good for those on a cholesterol diet. A few slices of this in a supermarket will put you back £10 or more.

Fortunately there is a more affordable meat that is 'almost' as good and a lot cheaper. Serrano ham comes from a more common breed of pig, the Landrace. These hams must have a minimum ageing process of twelve months before they can be sold however they are also offered as a reserva and grand reserva with up to twenty four month ageing process. The longer they have been allowed to age the deeper the flavours.

Sliced and vacuum packed you can find a pack for under £5.00. It is well worth choosing a dried ham with heritage. It's only when you've had a Serrano ham that you'll notice the sweetness of the meat and a lovely darkness to the colour which sets Spain's cured meats apart.

Enjoy them with melon, Spanish extra virgin olive oil and crusty bread and a glass or two of Rioja reserva. My tip is Spain's classic Muga Reserva available. from Winos of Oldham about £13.00.

If you want to experience the magnificence of real Spanish cuisine the newly opened Levanter Fine Foods in Ramsbottom is an absolute must. You will find everything you could wish for in this back street beauty with a range of twenty tapas to enjoy daily.

Food & Wine by Paul Sheerin
Pshearse@gmail.com