Paco’s blog

Distinguish format, cooking instructions and when to add chorizo. Never transfer preparation requirements between different products.

Learn how to warm or brown cured ham without burning it, when to add it to a dish and what to check before cooking.

Compare Bodega, Reserva and Gran Reserva minimum production periods for ham and shoulder without confusing them with Iberian categories.

Understand the Iberian shoulder's minimum production period, when it starts and why it does not define storage life after opening.

Recebo is not a current equivalent of cebo de campo. Understand the historical term and compare ham using its current label.

Separate ham and shoulder weights, Iberian minimum weights and net pack weight. Know which figure to compare before buying.

From bone-in ham to prepared centre: identifying, removing bones, checking and packing. What to confirm before buying the format.

What happens when a fresh leg is salted and why washing, resting and maturation follow. A professional-process explanation, not a home-curing recipe.

Understand a ham drying room, air, temperature and humidity management, and why a domestic room cannot replace professional processing.

Identify the shank, maza, contramaza and jarrete of a paleta and understand why its bones change the cutting route compared with ham.

Understand feeding, outdoor rearing, green seals and breed percentage for cebo de campo without confusing it with bellota.

What to do if ham feels soft or damp: labelling, storage and contacting the seller, without trying to finish curing at home.