A Little Advice on Hams
I have eaten my share of cured pork and then some. I spent a considerable amount of time in the hills neighboring Parma where Italian prosciutto is perfected. I have also enjoyed cured hams from Spain, France, and Virginia—all exquisite hams with subtle differences in breed, cure time, and diet.
It is all about the flavor, or in another word, the fat. Cured pork is an ancient equation of time, salt, and diet. Prosciutto di Parma has a long history reaching back to Roman times. The hindquarters of large white pigs are treated with salt and cured in mountain air for up to twenty-four months. I remember visiting the hills near Parma where thousands of pork legs would be curing overhead in the mountain air. The barns have large open windows on all sides for cross ventilation. Prosciutto di Parma is noted for having a layer of fat, at least two fingers deep, that holds a lot of flavor.
Spanish Ibérico de Bellota is another exquisite cured ham, always made from the smaller black Iberian breed, which are fed a diet of only acorns. The pork is lightly salted and left to cure, usually up to twenty-four months. It is drier and saltier resulting in a deep red meat color and a concentration of flavor in the fat.
The French cured ham is known as Jambon de Bayonne. It is aged a little less, usually seven to ten months, and cured in salt as well. All three hams are classic variations of the same, but American cured hams, usually associated with the South, are salt-cured and often smoked. S. Wallace Edwards ham from Virginia is one of the best smoked country hams, which can be eaten hand sliced just like prosciutto.
