Over the Christmas holidays it is customary for many companies to give some kind of nice gift package, called a "lote," usually food or drink, to their employees. My husband´s company always gives a great combination of things: wine, cava, cheese, sardines, chocolate, turrón.
Last year the NGO I work for switched from giving a bottle cava, which is a great gift, to giving Pata Negra, a cured (not cooked) ham leg of highest quality, which is even better! They did it again this year so we enjoyed the salty snack for many days, taking us all the way into the New Year.
The first response of many Americans, including myself, when they see these cured ham legs (jamon serrano) hanging in the bars is "grose!" Seeing pig´s legs hanging on the wall seems to take away our appetite.
Not for Spaniards....they get excited at the idea of slicing off a few pieces of meat for breakfast, for lunch, for a snack, whenever. While American children have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their lunchboxes, Spanish children unwrap a "jamon serrano" sandwich. Many families have a "jamonero" or a ham leg holder in their kitchens for easier access. I know of some Spaniards who love it so much that they smuggle it with them in their suitcases when they go on international vacations so as not to pass too much time without it.
One can see the great value of these ham hocks....the price of one of these legs can range from $20 for a 2 pound ham leg to $450 for an 18.5 pound leg of Pata Negra (pigs with black hooves who are fed only acorns, which is supposed to contribute to its outstanding quality.)
Slicing the ham is actually an art and as the days went by, my husband got better and better at it. Last year, on my first encounter with the generously bestowed ham leg, I wound up in the doctor´s office with a pretty deep cut on my finger. (Later I found out that jamon serrano accidents are actually quite common, especially at Christmas time.) It took weeks to heal and I still have a bit of a scar and an aversion to the slicing aspect of this delicacy. Although it took me a while to get used to the texture, I really have learned to like jamon serrano and now have no qualms about the eating aspect! :-)
It´s difficult if not impossible to find Spanish jamon serrano in the U.S. (at least in N.C.) However, if you´re interested in trying something similar, packaged slices of prosciutto, from Italy, can be found at many grocery store. When you´re ready to try the real thing, give us a call. Your friendly Catalan cured ham slicer will be at your service!
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