Correct positioning starts with a compatible stand and a firm table. A chosen cutting side cannot compensate for poor fixing: prepare, secure and check before picking up a knife.
Keep the knife aside, choose a side, adjust supports according to the manual and check that the ham cannot move.
1. Prepare the stand and table
Check that the stand accepts the ham's size and weight and is complete, clean and free from loose parts. Use a stable, dry surface away from the edge. Follow the maker's assembly and fixing order: models do not all use the same supports.
2. Choose the side to open
In a conventional stand, hoof upward usually exposes the broad maza side; downward, the narrower babilla. Identify the area on your ham and ask for guidance if unsure. Do not choose only by a fixed number of days: the piece's condition and consumption matter too.
Jamones Paco Heredia for this article
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
Jamones Paco Heredia
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
View the collection →3. Secure and check without a knife
With clean dry hands, place the ham in the supports and secure shank and body following the manual. Gently check that the base does not slide and the ham cannot rotate or rock. If it moves, adjust with the knife aside; do not compensate by holding it while cutting.
The selection follows the Jamones Paco Heredia catalogue. Editorial photographs illustrate formats; check the collection for current products and their details.
4. Check again whenever you turn it
Put the knife safely away first. Release and rotate the ham using your stand's mechanism, then secure and check stability and posture again. If it cannot be immobilised, do not cut. Photos are editorial scenes, not your model's manual or a practical demonstration.
Continue your selection
Check category, weight, format and storage on each listing. Compare hams, shoulders, sliced packs.