-=Jamón=-

There are two main types of jamón: Serrano's jamón (исп. jamón serrano, "mountain jamón") and more expensive jamón iberico (исп. jamón ibérico which is often called by "pata negra" — "a black leg"). They differ with way and duration of preparation, and the most essential distinction between Serrano's jamón and jamón iberico — breed of pigs and their diet.

Serrano — a distinctive sign: a white pig, at jamón a white hoof;
curado — endurance of 7 months;
reserva — endurance of 9 months;
bodega — endurance of 12 months;
iberico — a distinctive sign: a black pig, at jamón a black hoof;
de cebo — is made of the pigs fattened by fodder and acorns;
bellota — is made of the pigs fattened on a pure acorn diet.
Jamón it is standard to call the product prepared from hind legs of a pig whereas forward legs are called pallets.

Preparation
Jamón is filled up with a large amount of salt to accelerate process of dehydration. Duration of a pickles depends on the mass of a leg and climatic conditions of each area, but it averages one day on kilogram of a product.

Depending on the mass of gammon and climatic conditions of geographical area, process of drying borrows from six to 36 months. Drying usually begins in the winter or in the early spring to take advantage of slow and gradual increase in temperature up to late summer.

In the fall jamón is moved on lower floors of the room where it is within 9 — 12 months at a temperature of 8 — 10 °C. Here process of a vyaleniye begins: under the influence of microflora meat develops characteristic structure, a taste and aroma.

Maturing. After drying the product goes to cellars where it is classified by the weight and quality. On the basis of this classification the term necessary for "ripening" of each "leg" then they remain "to ripen" still in hover is defined. Thanks to a microclimate of cellars, at this stage "legs" develop a unique taste and aroma.
Test — the last check: experts do by the thin long needle (made of a bone of a cow or a horse) two or three openings in jamón to feel the aroma speaking about end of a stage of a vyaleniye.
Use jamón cut on very thin slices; cutting of jamón — special art in which the trained expert — the kortador using the special tool is engaged. The support on which jamón for cutting is established is called a hamoner. An institution where serve jamón, is called a hamoneriya.

Cutting
For cutting of jamón it is used a hamoner (исп. portajamones, soporte jamonero) — a special support of the corresponding length. According to culinary specialists, organoleptic properties of jamón are directly influenced by quality of cutting therefore jamón is cut surely manually with the help by hamoner and a special knife. Mechanical cutting of jamón worsens his quality.

As a rule, supports do of a tree and have length of 45 — 50 cm (depending on the sizes of pork gammon) and 15 — 20 cm wide. The sharp screw on an arm hamoner serves for fixing of a leg with a hoof, and other part for installation of a wide part of jamón. Having weakened the screw on a ring, it is possible to turn jamón to cut meat from the opposite side.

Cutting happens parallel to the leg fixed on a hamoner. At the same time, to avoid injuries, jamón has to be densely fixed on a hamoner without slipping that the leg has nestled on a support in all directions and wasn't loosened. At commission of a cut the left hand is above an operational hand all the time with a knife (for the lefthander the rule is opposite).

Place of production
Jamón is made in all territory of Spain except for the coast. As well as Spanish wines, have Denominación de Origen — the quality mark guaranteeing that jamón is made in a certain province with observance of invariable local standards (at each province they the). The Ministry of Agriculture of Spain allocates the following DOP:

cecina de León ("Sesin de León")
dehesa de Extremadura ("Dees de Estremadur")
guijuelo (Gikhuelo)
jamón de Huelva ("Jamón de Ouelva")
jamón de Teruel ("Jamón de Terouel")
jamón de Trevélez ("Jamón Treveles")

Storage in house conditions
In house conditions jamón keeps in the dry cool place (15 — 20 °C). After cutting the use within five months is allowed, at the same time the place of a section is closed a cotton towel or oiled olive for prevention of contact with air.