Serrano v Parma

[welsh wizard]

Ok my sausage chums, who can tell me the difference between the two aforementioned hams?

[Spuddy]

Serrano is Spanish, Parma is Italian.
Serrano is dryer whereas Parma is more moist.
Serrano has an intense flavour and the colour is a deep pink/red.
Parma has a lighter flavour which has a slightly cheesy aroma due to the pigs being fed on the whey from the Parmesan Cheese making process.
They are both cured traditionally with just sea salt (the natural nitrates in the sea salt producing the pink colour), no other ingredients are allowed.
Both are aged for at least nine months.
Neither are smoked
Both are good.

[welsh wizard]

Wow Spuddy

Many thanks for the full reply, much appreciated.

Cheers WW

[aris]

Yes - both are yummy indeed!

[somerset lad]

I am trying a large hock as a first time go at parma ham with Franco's cure looks good at the moment only day 12 so far. Also doing a Guanciale i have two pork jowls hanging and looking ok. hope it turns out ok.

[Oddley]

Hi somerset lad

What is Guanciale? Please post the recipe you are using, I would love to see it. Also let us know how it all comes out.

[Spuddy]

Guanciale is an air dried, dry cured cheek (jowl) of pork. The cheek (Guancia in Italian) is cured using the same sort of cure used for pancetta but is coated in cracked black peppercorns and thyme.
It's really a poor man's version of pancetta so you won't find it in any UK supermarket but (as with all Italian "peasant food") is a great ingredient that speaks for itself and will transform any simple dish like pasta carbonara or al'amatriciana into something authentic and memorable.
Sorry, I'm getting a bit carried away here. If you've used it you'll understand.
I've not seen it for so long, I had a pig's head to use recently and it didn't cross my mind to make Guanciale! DOH!!!! Gutted!!!!!

[Franco]

Everything you need to know about guanciale

http://127.0.0.1:4664/cache?event_id=47 ... Xbb6l4wlgM

[aris]

That link won't work Franco - it is pointing to your local host.

[Oddley]

Franco LOL

[Start joking]
127.0.0.1 is my own local ip address. Why would I find the info on my own computer on port 4664...:shock: [/Stop Joking]

[Franco]

try this instead

www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/ ... e_cure.php

I used Google's desktop search to find it and presumed it would send you to the direct link....obviously not.


Franco

[Oddley]

Cheers Franco.

Ahh the eternal question, Russian roulette or use nitrates. That was an interesting read. Just goes to show, well known chefs know as little as the rest of us.