How to Slice Spanish Ham (Jamon)
First you should have is a good ham stand (Jamonero) to be used for supporting ham on the bone whilst slicing with a flexible sharp ham knife.
Knifes are very important too and you need a different types of them. On this video you will see wich one to use and how.
There is a special cutting technique, which comes with practise, to produce fine, wafer thin slices of meat.
With the hoof of the ham pointing away from you and the ham secured in the jamonero, remove any hard skin and fat according to how much ham you wish to cut. Keep the fat for protecting the meat later. This can be used to cover any exposed ham when not in use, in order to keep the ham moist and avoid to dry much.
Cut slices along the top of the ham with short sawing motions. Try and achieve wafer thin slices for best results, as thicker slices can be chewy.
When finished, place any excess fat on the exposed meat or cover with olive oil and cling flim to seal the meat from the air and keep fresh for the next slice.
When you have eventually sliced down to the bone, swivel the ham around on the jamonero and start slicing again. Finally, trim down to the bone which can now be cut up into small pieces for stews or for making a rich flavoured stock.
Click the picture to watch the video - How to Slice a Ibérico Ham.