Spanish Ham Buying Made Easy

Hand picked hams from Spain

Considering a Spanish ham this festive season? Serrano and Iberico hams make a fantastic gift and will provide some authentic gourmet tapas right through until the New year so no fear of running out of food at the party!

Choosing the right Spanish ham can be a bit of a minefield so to help you make the right choice we have offered more information within your ham descriptions and also added some valuable "tasting notes" to help you decide which ham is best suited to your taste buds

Here at Orce Serrano Hams we firmly believe that quality and authenticity is key which is why we leave mass produced hams well alone and only deal with a few hand picked producers from rural Andalucia. Hams are chosen for each customer by the "maestro secadero" who will examine, weigh and test each ham for ripeness before it is approved for sale, your ham is then wrapped and placed into its muslin sock before being packed ready for dispatch.

One crucial part of getting the most from your Spanish ham is correct carving which is why every ham comes with comprehensive instructions on storage and carving as well as food pairing ideas, you will also receive fast and thorough answers to your questions before, during and after your purchase.

Don't forget your ham stand! Part of carving a ham effectively is to have it secure and steady, this is where the specifically designed Spanish ham stand comes in. The ham stand cradles your ham allowing safe and steady carving and helps you achieve those all important wafer thin slices.

Get Sharp! The correct carving knife is also equally important, ham carving knives are long, thin and flexible - not any old kitchen knife will do... If all this sounds too complicated, fear not as you can also choose from ham "starter kits" this year which not only offer great value for money but come complete with everything you need to enjoy your ham over Christmas, New Year and beyond.

Useful Links:

Serrano Hams
Starter Kits
Why Buy?
Ham Stands
Carving Knives


Advice is free so if you are considering a good Spanish ham this Christmas pop over to the deli for more information or email us here and ask for Iain or Gayle.

Win! "Cured" by Lindy Wildsmith

"Cured" Slow Techniques for Flavouring Meat, Fish and Vegetables

Now I'm no expert on book reviews, in fact I have never done one or been asked to write one so don't regard this post as a review, in fact most of the books I read are recipe books, most of which I only use the bare basic instructions and adapt the odd ingredient or cooking time here and there.

"Cured" is different and lets be honest who cures their own meat and fish? You may well change your mind after reading this... The first thing that struck me about this book is author Lindy's honesty about how easy it to buy the products she makes from the supermarket, nothing wrong with that but supermarket bacon for example does tend to lack self satisfaction especially when you consider that its an instant purchase, devoured in a sarnie with a sauce of choice then immediatly forgotten with a sip of morning coffee.

"Cured" is beautifully presented and photographed 288 page hardback detailing all methods of curing. There are seven detailed sections to the book unraveling the ancient art of curing and showing even the most novice home cook the methods to create a gourmet dish in their own kitchen. Recipes and techniques come from all over the world - America, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and as far afield as Japan.

In a word, for chefs, cooks of all levels and the smoking, curing enthusiast this book is an essential to have up there with what you have so far. A journey through tradition, practice, recipes and a deep infusion of flavours.

Available now.



Win a copy!- Simply leave a comment telling us what your favourite Spanish sausage is and why (selection here)




* Worldwide shipping, winner chosen using Random Dec 1st 2010 in conjunction with Orce Serrano Hams. please allow up to 28 days for delivery.


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Iberico Bellota Ham with Orange and Mango

Iberico Bellota ham is arguably the worlds finest cured ham. Some may argue that using premium bellota jamon in recipes is failing to appreciate its exquisite nutty flavours and aromas and should only be enjoyed on its own for a complete gourmet experience...

We'll let you decide on that one but there are some recipes where iberico ham can result in a dish that makes for a rather distinguished breakfast, an iberian side dish or simply just tapas of the highest class.

Keep accompanying flavours simple with Iberico ham and your half way home, nothing too overpowering - let the ham do the work and you can end up with some real flavour enhanced by the very best from the Iberian peninsular.

We have discussed on this blog that Spanish ham goes very well with fruit, most fruits in fact, a classic combination would be sliced jamon with grapes, apple and manchego cheese although kiwi, peach and nectarine work equally well. For a real explosion of flavour try oranges... A couple of years ago during a tour of a local olive oil producer they let us taste test the oil - over orange, it may not seem an obvious pairing but it does work very well, with this in mind try a simple salad of Iberian bellota ham with thinly sliced fresh orange and the best gourmet extra virgin olive oil you can get your hands on (something slightly peppery is best)

Makes 4 - 5 Tapas

100g Iberico bellota ham (hand sliced)
1 Orange
1/2 Ripe mango
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Cut the peel from the orange and remove as much pith as possible using a sharp knife.

2. Slice the orange thinly and arrange around the outside of a tapas dish.

3. Peel and cube the mango, lay in the bottom of the dish.

4. Arrange your Iberian ham slices over the fruit.

5. Drizzle generously with good extra virgin.


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