If you have an Iberian ham at home, there will be plenty of finger-licking moments, right? And since it's so delicious, you'll want it to last as long as possible, without having to give up enjoying it whenever you want.
Well, we've been thinking about how to help you get the most out of this exquisite food, and we've put together a list of tips to help you make the most of your Iberian ham :
1. Find a good place to put it, one that helps preserve it , because that way it will taste just as good until the very last day.
2. You must have the right tools to cut it comfortably and safely.
3. Of course, if you don't know how to slice it, you should learn how to do it correctly, because that largely determines whether you get the most out of it and enjoy its flavor. You can download our tutorial on how to slice ham here.
4. When you start slicing, don't go overboard and throw away the initial rind and fat; don't discard it all. You can use it later to cover the ham when you finish slicing what you're going to eat. By placing a few slices of fat over the last cut area, you'll prevent it from drying out and it will remain juicy the next time you slice it. In some kitchens, this rind and fat are even used as a flavor enhancer in stews and broths.
5. It's very important to calculate carefully and cut the amount you think you'll eat. But hey, don't be stingy, don't run out, and although it's unlikely there will be any ham left on the plate... if there is a single slice left over... it won't take long to disappear.
6. All those little flakes that come off when you make cuts or clean the ham, and which might detract from the presentation, are perfectly usable for making shavings. You can lightly toast these shavings in the oven, and they'll add a wonderful touch to hot creams and soups. You can also leave them as is and use them in other cold dishes like salmorejo, guacamole, gazpacho… 
7. After many plates of mouthwatering ham, you might think it's over, but don't despair, you can still get a little more out of it. Some parts of the leg will be right down to the bone, while others will still have meat attached. This is where having the right cutting tools becomes crucial, because you'll need a shorter, pointed, and sharp knife to extract those pieces. These ham scraps will be perfect ingredients for other recipes, for example, diced (check out this post where we shared 7 culinary ideas where diced ham is a real plus ).
8. And now, all that's left is the bone; it's time to chop it up. You'll need the necessary tools again, or, for extra peace of mind, go to your trusted butcher to have it cut into pieces that you can then use in various recipes. You can also freeze some pieces to use as needed; you'll have flavor for a while.
Our resident chef, the award-winning Martín Berasategui, is an admirer of Aljomar Iberian ham, and he knows how to make the most of it; in fact, for example, he prepares some amazing croquettes.
It is also true that you can save yourself the entire previous process by choosing the Martín Berasategui Cases, where you have the Iberian acorn-fed ham already sliced by hand in 25 sachets, a vacuum-packed package of ham cubes , and, in addition, one with the bacon and another with the ham bones .
