Spain's Dried Hams

In Italy it is prochuoto ham in Spain it is Iberian named after the region. Anyway you slice the cured meat it is good.

They take it very seriously.  In the States we eat ham but over there it is taken to a different level.  Of course here you can order an aged ham but you can't just go down to the grocery and pick one out that is hanging.  In the grocery stores over there you will see many hams hanging from the ceiling just waiting to go home.  They have racks just out there hanging, truly cured. In the restaurants it usually is just sitting there ready to be sliced. 

I was wandering the streets of Barcelona and they were sampling them and selling it.  After tasting some and falling in love with it I bought a bit and shoved it into my pocket.  Walking along and snacking on it was fun.  It's a great snack.  It is more like my jerky than ham.  You simply must give it a try.

The longer it is aged the dryer it gets and the more valuable it becomes.  They leave the hoof on it which is again an all together different way of selling a pigs leg.  I can't wait to get back over there for another taste.

They cure the whole leg letting it age sometimes for years. The older the dryer and more valuable it becomes.

Not the ham I grew up on but a good use of the leg.  They probably don't put it in a pot of beans like Mama did but it would be good there too. It certainly is different than a ham from here. Try it.