Homemade jamon: tricks to make the perfect dish

Homon is a delicacy made from pork ham. It is considered an expensive and exquisite dish, served in the most elite establishments in the world. But it is also possible to cook jamon at home, if you choose the right meat and adhere to the technology of salting. There are different ways of cooking: a week, several months or even years. It all depends on how long you are willing to wait and what flavor you want to achieve.

Today FoodOboz editorial staff shares the secrets of cooking jamon at home.

Recipe for classic jamon

Ingredients:

• Pork ham - about 5 kg
• Sea salt - 8-10 kg

Method of preparation:

• Rinse and dry the ham, put it in a wooden container so that the meat fits completely.
• Sprinkle with plenty of sea <a href="https://food.obozrevatel.com/zakuski/malosolnyie-pomidoryi-s-medom.htm" target="_blank">salt</a>. Salt is the main preservative, so you need to add a lot of it.
• Leave the ham in a cold dark room for 5 days.
• The temperature should be about 3-5 degrees, humidity not less than 80%.
• The time of salting is determined as follows: for each kilogram of meat, 1 day is required.

• Take out the meat, rinse with water and send it to the freezer. There it still matures for about 2 months.
• Take the meat out of the freezer, hang it vertically with twine and place it in a room with good ventilation for another 3-5 months. The temperature should be 15-18 degrees, humidity 60-70%.
• After that, send the ham to a dark room with a temperature of 6-9 degrees for another 1.5-2 years.
• Ham is fully ready for consumption. The degree of its readiness is determined by a special needle.

"Quick" jamon from pork loin

Ingredients:

• Pork loin - 1 kilogram
• Salt - 2 kilograms
• Sugar - 1 kg
• Seasoning mix (basil, curry, peppers, chopped bay leaf) - 3 tablespoons.

Method of preparation:

1. Rinse the loin thoroughly, dry with a paper towel and leave it for 1 hour at room temperature.
2. Mix salt and sugar. Sprinkle the mixture over the loin and place in an enameled pot. Leave it under the press for three days.
3. Every 4-6 hours turn the piece over, and drain the excess liquid.
4. After 3 days dry the loin with a towel, rub it with a mixture of seasonings, wrap it in gauze, tie it up and hang it on a hook. The jamon should be cured in the fresh air for about 5 days. It is worth waiting 30 days for the delicacy to fully ripen.
5. Slice into thin slices before serving.

Spicy jamon

Ingredients:

• Pork loin - 1.5 kg
• Salt - ½ kg
• Sugar - ¼ kg
• Ground black pepper - 2 teaspoons
• Chopped bay leaf - 1 teaspoon
• Dried basil, rosemary, ground coriander - 1 teaspoon.
• Vinegar 6% - 100 ml.

Tips for cooking jamon

• Instead of gauze, you can make a shelter from mosquito netting, which is sold by the meter in any building store. The mosquito net will not be in tight contact with the piece, which will ensure good air microcirculation;
• The salt should be coarse. It will act as an adsorbent. Thanks to which excess moisture will come out faster during salting. Experienced cooks recommend using sea salt, as it contains natural iodine, which acts as an antiseptic. Ordinary table salt with iodine is better not to use, as it will give the meat an unpleasant taste and flavor;

• Pieces should be chosen with a thin layer of fat, because thick can unevenly vsolita and the meat will spoil.
• In the process of drying on the piece will appear a white patina. It is not necessary to remove it. This is a natural process of salt release;
• Meat must not be pierced or cut during the curing process. Any damage can lead to spoilage of the product;
• If during the curing process dark circles began to appear on the piece, they should be treated locally with alcohol. In no case should you peel off the dark spots with a knife.