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Embutidos Rodriguez 7kg Gran Reserva Serrano Ham Ordered From The Tapas Lunch Company. |
Is Serrano Ham Healthy?
Serrano ham is easily digestible, contains high levels of acidic and unsaturated fats which help regulate cholesterol levels. It is an ideal food for a balanced healthy diet due to nutritional properties. Each ham contains vitamins B1 and B2, iron, phosphorus and proteins The fat content in Serrano ham is an important factor effecting quality. Fat helps balance curing and plays an important role in the result of a high quality ham. Fat should not be discarded and should be enjoyed as a flavoursome part of the ham. Serrano hams occasionally have what appear to be white dots embedded in the meat - these are by no means harmful and are regarded by some experts as a sign of a high quality cured ham. The white dots are made up of amino acids and occur during the latter stages of curing.
The Tapas Lunch Company
My first review comes from www.thetapaslunchcompany.co.uk, where I purchased a 16 month old 7kg Gran Reserva Serrano Ham leg. The Gran Reserva sold at The Tapas Lunch Company, is sourced from Embutidos Rodriguez.
In selecting a ham I looked at the price, weight, shipping costs and quality. I chose The Tapas Lunch Company as their ham costs an affordable £74.99. I also liked the fact that their full legs are 7kg, whilst others in this price bracket are around 6kg.
My first review comes from www.thetapaslunchcompany.co.uk, where I purchased a 16 month old 7kg Gran Reserva Serrano Ham leg. The Gran Reserva sold at The Tapas Lunch Company, is sourced from Embutidos Rodriguez.
In selecting a ham I looked at the price, weight, shipping costs and quality. I chose The Tapas Lunch Company as their ham costs an affordable £74.99. I also liked the fact that their full legs are 7kg, whilst others in this price bracket are around 6kg.
Being a Gran Reserva the ham has been cured for a minimum of 16 months, this gives the ham a lovely depth of flavour.
I found their website easy to use, however I would have liked to see a little background on Embutidos Rodriguez. Well I decided to place my order for a full leg of Serrano Ham and a wooden Ham Stand , which costs £14.69. The Ham Stand looks basic, but does a great job and at resonable price.
I found their communication was excellent and I soon received an email containing my shipment's tracking number. Their shipping cost is £4.99, for UK Mainland with a maximum of £14.99 for Northern Scotland, Ireland and Europe. Within the UK and ROI, ham is delivered by courier next day delivery.
The next day at 08:00 in the morning the courier turned up with my box of ham, which was securely wrapped. The ham looked really nice, it's fat was sunflower yellow, a good sign of its age and it has a sweet and inviting aroma.
I set-up my stand and secured the ham. The ham stand is a very basic version and at a fraction of the price of others, which can cost several hunderd pounds. For its price the stand does a good job and I am very happy with it. I may in the future look at a different design to see if it has any affect on the ham. At this point it is important to leave the ham for 24 hours to allow it time to acclimatise to its surroundings and reach room temperature.
If you have no experience of carving and caring for your ham, The basic rule is to save the fat , as you will use it to cover exposed meat, keeping it moist between use. Use a sharp carving knife and keep the slices short and thin. I have not discussed knives, as I decided not to purchase a thin flexible knife normally used to carve the ham, due to budget constraints. I have instead used a standard carving knife. Next month I may invest in one of these knives.
Each time you finish carving your ham keep it covered with the fat and a cloth. You can also use olive oil and cling film. I chose to cover the meat using only the fat, this way it will naturally flavour the meat whilst keeping it moist.
The more I cut into this ham the more I enjoy its flavour. For the price I think this ham is fantastic and is far beyond anything you will find in the supermarkets in the UK. Before buying the ham I did purchase a slices of Serrano ham from a leading supermarket. The ham I bought lacked flavour, also the fat did not melt at room temperature. It is important to remember that some supermarket products may have been factory produced and not aged for long.
For those of you who feel £74.99 is a lot to pay, remember that this ham will contain around 50 servings, thats £1.49 per serving or £2.49 per day and can be kept in the kitchen for up to 6 weeks once cut, without the requirement for refrigeration.
Whilst I am writing this blog I have been enjoying my ham with a nice glass of Rioja and a selection of home made Tapas dishes, detailed below.
I will be reviewing other suppliers in the coming months, however for now I think this Gran Reserva is fantastic value for money!
Whilst I am writing this blog I have been enjoying my ham with a nice glass of Rioja and a selection of home made Tapas dishes, detailed below.
I will be reviewing other suppliers in the coming months, however for now I think this Gran Reserva is fantastic value for money!
Below is a picture of Embutidos Rodriguez's 7kg Gran Reserva Serrano Ham leg, aged for a minimum of 16 months, earning it a black label and Gran Reserva grade.
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The Spanish Tapas Lunch Company,Embutidos Rodriguez 7kg Gran Reserva Serrano Ham,£74.99 & Ham Stand with Metal Supports, Price £14.69 |
Serrano Ham Serving Suggestions
Serve thinly sliced at room temperature, with slices of melon, beetroot, plums, tortilla, olives or fresh figs quartered and drizzled with honey.
A nice wine to go with this is a fruity Rioja such as Berberana Reservas Privadas 2007 from Sainsburys, its price is currently around £4.65 or ERA Costana Rioja 2007, aged in oak this wine goes really well with a selection of Tapas.
Ingredients & Preparation
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All recipes can be found on my recipe pages.
