Selfridges punts £1,800 Spanish ham Selfridges is inviting customers with discerning palates and deep pockets to cough £1,800 for an authentic jamón ibérico puro originally belonging to an acorn-fed Spanish porker. The exclusive Albarragena ham The Albarragena ham (pictured), selected by expert Manuel Maldonado, hails from Extremadura, where pampered pigs roam …
... you don't really get "curing" and "preserving", do you? Take everyone else's word for it; it does work. I'm sure the stuff tastes lovely. Why, what were you thinking? People go around paying thousands of pounds for a lump of poisonous rotting meat that tastes like filth?
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/12/14/
Hang on a sec. On Selfridges website, it says the farmer selected 50 pigs. Here we have 100 hams up for grabs. I make that 2 hams per pig. Last time I looked, which admittedly was a while back, pigs had 4 legs - so what's happened to the rest of them. Did they just lop a couple of legs off each pig, in the hope that it would be able to balance it's way through life on the remaining 2 - or have they learned to walk upright - or what.
The ham-buying public demand to know!
I've had one-year-old ham made on the same basis - you can buy it in 100 gm slivers as opposed to a whole leg. And it really does have a wonderful taste; like fine wine you get an initial hit and then quite a long and different after-taste. You can buy affordable portions at good Spanish delis.
Pete2 = "hams" come from the rear end and all pigs, even (most of ??) those from Norfolk have only 2 legs - read up on "culatello"
this ham also comes from 100% Iberian pigs whch are DNA tested - another way of saying you're buying "incest ham" - look what happened when they kept dog breeds pure - can you imagine what happens the ham... maybe they have those fine 3 rear-legged pigs..
It used to be nigh on impossible to sell pork from animals fed on acorns because the flesh is a nasty black colour. Acorns are about the cheapest type of pig feed you could get. The only way they could top this leg of ham is to sell one from pigs fed exclusively on rats.
A food connoisseur is just a wallet with a few brain cells attached.
And yes it is a delicatessen a truly unique palatal experience and that, but bear in mind that you can get it for €400 if you buy it in Spain.
The locals buy the not so expensive ones for around €250 which are incredibly good too. The ones below €200 are not bad, but no delicacy.
One of those Serrano ham legs will last a family of 4 for a month. You can add it to many dishes, diced or sliced, in sandwiches with sliced tomato and olive oil is a wonder.
Problem is for people outside Spain is that you need special stand and knifes to be able to peel it properly, which is important so it doesn't get dry prematurely. And to be able to peel it properly albeit easy, requires some explaining.
Serrano ham is something related to the culinary culture of Spain, it is also the symbol of economic well-being , a family that can not afford a Serrano ham is a poor family.
It is also you buy may be 1 or 2 times per year, and often to celebrate something important.
No, it isn't religion based.
I think this explains it well enough:
http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/porkfacts.html
Sure you're still interested?
FAIL for a leg of pork costing more than a fair few people take home in a month. Don't care HOW well the piggy was pampered, that's £180,000 for the (back) legs alone. Imagine how much bacon from the critter will cost!
Jamon serrano and iberico are the best. I used to be a prosciutto fan but once I started buying the expensive brands of jamon, I switched.
Here's a recipe for a decent sandwich: use panini bread, or any bread with a decent crust, add eggplant preserves (non-tomatoed), a little mayo, two sliver of jamon, a few pieces of brie cheese, some olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve Hot.
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