It's an art. Those who cut ham, a profession that is increasingly in high demand, are well aware of this. It requires concentration, dexterity and knowledge of the piece at hand. And it is during these holidays that most ham is bought or given away. The lucky ones who have a leg in their homes are faced with the task of making the most of it, cutting it gracefully, but above all not destroying it, something that is quite common. Several master cutters reveal their secrets to get the most out of it and slice, always with a knife, one of the most valued products in Spanish gastronomy and one of the most prized at this time of year.
The first thing they recommend is to choose the right ham, depending on the diet the animal has received. If it is acorn-fed Iberian pigs – whose pigs feed on the fruit of the holm oak during the montanera season – all the better. Of good size, this means about 7 or 7.5 kilos per piece. The first thing to do, even if it is not going to be consumed at that time, is to strip it of plastics and packaging. Undress him. Once the leg is placed on a firm surface, preferably on a cutting board, on which it can be adjusted well, the cutting process begins.
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How to choose an Iberian ham for Christmas, according to experts
Here comes the first dilemma. Where to cut. By the mace or by the slug. A detail that is important, say the experts consulted. "The domestic cut is a way of socializing with family or friends, something that is done by drinking a glass of wine and enjoying the quintessence of gastronomy," says Santiago Martínez Samitier, cutter and ambassador of the Iberian firm Cinco Jotas. And if you want to entertain the guests, "what you have to do is open it through the most aesthetic part, the most beautiful, which is the mace, and in which the three parts are mixed, that of the shank, the mace and the tip, so the tasting is more complete, because there are more textures, flavors and nuances." He details that the shank has a firm texture, with sweet and complex nuances, while the mace is more balanced, with a good ratio of lean and fat, similar to umami, tasty, but without being salty. And the point, the third texture, which, according to Martínez, composes a triptych in the image and likeness of Bosch's work The Garden of Earthly Delights: "Each of the parts offers sensations, nuances and intensities, where each of the parts offers a new detail". In addition to the organoleptic components, he believes that it is easier to start the ham on the smooth side, without obstacles. "It's a good way to start getting a taste for cutting."
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On the other hand, for Sebastián Criado, a cutter for a decade and head of this group at the Joselito firm, the best way to start a ham is through the babilla, that is, the narrowest part of the leg. "There are those who prefer the mace, but I think it is better on the other side because it is the one that has the least infiltrated fat and, therefore, it is the one that has the least protection and is the one that will be drier sooner."
The size of the slice also counts. Raúl Barrado, a cutter at Fisan, advises that each unit should be between 0.1 and 0.2 millimeters thick, and 4 centimeters wide. "But the important thing is that it contains both lean and fat, because lean alone does not contribute much, taking into account that in the mace part you will get wider slices and in the shank narrower part." He believes that a good cut is marked by straightness, so that the surface is parallel to the femur and this, in turn, is parallel to the cutting table. And he compares the movement of the hand to that of a classical dance dance, without abrupt gestures, as if it were the handling of a saw, to avoid unsightly marks on the flesh. "Cutting a ham is the last link in the production chain and it has to be done with care, so as not to spoil it," explains Barrado, who advises working with a cutting knife with alveoli on the surface. "It makes it easier for us to work on less cured hams and makes the leaf slide better."
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It's like playing a violin, says Criado, the movement of the arm has to be smooth and light. "It's not a matter of strength and you can't abuse it, the knife has to slide, but for that it has to be very sharp." The tool is key when it comes to sectioning a pork leg. "It's important to have a good specific knife for cutting ham. A very common mistake is not having it properly sharpened, which makes them unsafe to work with. To make a clean cut, there has to be a good edge," says this expert, who draws his perfect slice: one that has a semi-transparent thickness and covers the entire surface of the ham, about three or four centimeters wide. And something very important, "it has to have fat".
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Ángel Pérez, a cutter from Castro y González, advises going to the mountains, but to take advantage of the bone and the hard parts of the piece. Because everything is used from the ham, except for the hoof that has touched the ground. With the help of the other knife needed to handle a ham, called a cleaning knife, with a wider and firmer blade, with which the rind is removed and the leg is cleaned – it is also advisable to have a sharp, short, strong knife with a pointed end to be able to correctly separate the ham from the bone, and a sharpening steel or knife sharpener. The hardest parts are cut off, which are used for cooking. "With the bone and the leftovers, you can make sautéed meats, broths, everything is useful," explains this expert, who advises not to be afraid of ham, even if it imposes. "You don't have to be nervous. It's a good hobby and more and more people are interested in learning cutting techniques."
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The best way to keep a ham in optimal condition at home, warns Martínez Samitier, is to cut 100 grams each day. "And between cuts, it's a good idea to scrape off the grease with the torso of the paring knife and smear it a little to keep it hydrated." And the greatest sacrilege that can be committed with a ham, and this is agreed by all the experts consulted, including Raquel Acosta, a professional cutter, who exposes in the attached video all her advice when it comes to cutting a ham – in favour of doing it by the slug – is to cover it with a cloth. Never. It's antediluvian, they say. In addition, it does not protect from oxidation of the meat. The right thing to do is to cover it with the pink part of the bacon – it is very important that it is not yellow, which means that it is rancid – and then with plastic wrap over the ham holder.
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