Carving Deboned Serrano Ham From Costco

It is Thanksgiving. Most family would prepare turkey for carving during family dinner. This year, we found a cool alternative for the the season. Noel’s Jamon Serrano Ham is perfect for family gathering or hosting parties to treat your friend. It is a seasonal item with limited quantity that can be purchased in Costco.

Strength: Awesome experience of Spanish heritage

Weakness: Someone in your party need to be skilled with a knife

A little about the ham

The Serrano ham is made with 100% natural product by Noel Alimentaria. They are dry-cured for 14 months in Pyrenees with the use of Mediterranean sea salt. The curing process starts when the salts are added, so this ham does not contain preservatives. It is best to keep this ham between 0 – 7 degree Celsius if you cannot finish everything in 1 seating. The ham included in the package is approximately 2kg. A whole ham with bone is approximately 6kg, so this is actually half of a whole ham.

Included carving stand and knife

Inside the box, you can find the 2kg solid piece of ham in a vacuum bag. Beside that, you can find the included carving knife and everything required to assemble the wooden carving stand. I find the included wooden carving stand too light for its purpose. As we approach the middle part of the ham, I noticed the fat content increased. The knife become somewhat glued to the meat and the stand starts to moves as I carve the meat.

When the carving begins

The first step of properly carving a Spanish ham is to remove the skin in long strips. Make sure some of the fat are still attached to the meat so we can appreciate the mixed textures of pork fat and lean ham. If you cannot finish the ham, use the strips of sin to cover the exposed ham to preserve the ham longer. Do note that it is normal for the exterior of the ham to become moldy. Simply remove them and continue carving.

Fun activities for all the guests

If you want to carve the ham properly, make sure you only carve them horizontally. The ham should have the full width of the ham. They should be paper thin and less than 2 cm long. As this is our first time purchasing whole Spanish ham, we followed none of those rules. We cut long strand of thick hams with sinew we cannot chew through. That’s our own fault, but everyone had fun.

Spanish ham stand up to the taste test

Even though we kind of screwed up the texture ourselves, Noe’s deboned ham still has genuine taste, flavour and aroma that outperforms any Italian prosciutto I have tried. It has an appropriate level of salt. The flavour has interesting subtle change depending on which part of the ham you are eating. I find side without skin has a more complex flavour. The texture is  inconsistent where the ham get a little too wet and fatty as we get to the center.

604 Food Critic Assessment

This delectable charcuterie has a high fat content. We opened a bottle of red wine for pairing so it doesn’t get too monotone. With good companies among friends everyone took turn in carving. Noel’s Serrano ham became the totemic element of our party. Even though it was our first time carving a ham, the $89.99 is well worth the price tag. Think about how much you have to pay for a few slices of Spanish cured ham at the store. The Noel’s Serrano ham is a thanksgiving seasonal item at Costco with limited quantity. If you want to give your guest a different experience this holiday, make sure you snatch this unique item as they become available.