Preparation: Before cutting a ham, you need to ensure that it is at the right temperature, which should be around 23ºC, and that you are using the right tools. The jamonero (a specially-designed ham stand) should not only hold the ham in place, it should also allow the cutter to stand in a comfortable position. A special ham knife with a narrow, flexible blade should be used to cut slices from the inside of the ham. A shorter, more rigid knife should be used for the pelado and other cuts (see below).

Pelado (“Peeling”): The next step involves “peeling” the ham by removing the top layer of fat which covers the ham underneath, as well as the leather and crust which form as a result of the mould and other substances which develop after the drying and ageing process. The first, circular cut must be made perpendicular to the hoof, by the hock.

First Cut: The way in which you cut the ham depends on when you plan to eat it. If you plan to eat the whole ham immediately, you should cut from the main part of the ham, in other words, the juiciest part. However, if you are going to eat the ham slowly, you should start cutting by the stifle (the knee joint). This helps prevent the rest of the ham from drying out.

Cuts: The following guidelines should be followed to ensure that you cut the ham properly: the cuts should always be parallel to one another, so that the top of the cut surface is flat, and each slice should be as thin and wide as possible, and no longer than seven centimetres. When cutting from the hoof up, each serving of ham should include a mixture of slices from the central part of the ham, the end and the knuckle. At this stage, you should also make cuts which go down towards the knuckle, and others which remove ham from the coxal bone.

Other Uses: The parts of the ham which cannot be cut into slices because they are attached to the bone, such as the jarrete (shank) and the caña (the part closest to the hoof), can be cut into shreds or pieces and used to make delicious stews or broths.