I love a good Spanish jamón.
It’s one of the (many) foods I like to stuff my face with when I go home.
Cos, sure, you can buy pre-packaged “jamón” in England but A) it costs about £5 to buy 4 slices (like, lol no) and B) it’s not PROPER jamón.
Proper jamón is perfectly cured and freshly sliced from the leg. It’s sweet and savoury and tangy and tender and amazing. It’s wafer thin, marbled with fat and delicious completely on its own. No need for bread, butter, cheese or any other paraphernalia (my fancy word for the day).
A plate of proper jamón was something that, until now, I never thought I’d be able to experience properly in England.
So imagine my surprise (and delight) when the lovely team at Zomato popped an invite into my mailbox asking me if I wanted to have a go at a Jamón Carving Masterclass at Camino Bankside!
For £30, not only do you learn how to properly prepare and carve the giant cured hams, you also get to stuff your face with as much of it as you can fit in your stomach.
A BARGAIN IF EVER THERE WAS ONE!
First of all, we were introduced to Nacho del Campo. He’s the executive chef for Camino, a native Spaniard and an absolute KING of jamón carving.
He gave us a brief chat about the different types of jamón available and the subtle differences between each:
We learned that what the pigs eat is mainly what gives the different hams their unique flavours. Pigs that are fed entirely on acorns are the most sought-after as they give the tastiest meat. (Is it just me that didn’t realise pigs ate acorns? In my head that was always just squirrels…)
All jamón is cured in exactly the same way, but the length of time it’s left for will also affect the quality.
The very best quality jamones (Nacho called them the “Rolls Royce of jamón” LOL) are marked with a black label and are cured for a massive 32 months.
By the end of it, the hams are TOTALLY delicious. It’s actually surprisingly easy to taste the difference between that and the softer, milder flavour of some of the “younger” jamones.
As to the carving of it… well.
Let’s just say that maybe telling everyone that you’re (kind of) Spanish before you attempt it, isn’t such a good idea…
Because when it turns out that you absolutely SUCK at carving Spanish ham?
Well. It’s just a bit embarrassing isn’t it?
What I Learned About Carving Jamón
1. Take the skin and fat off first, but only remove it from the part you’re actually going to carve. Unless you’re planning on carving up the ENTIRE jamón in one go (all 10kg of it!), this will keep the rest of the meat succulent for next time.
2. The jamón should be stored in a cool, dry place, BUT it’s actually nicer served in hot weather. Seville is apparently the BEST place to eat jamón cos the high temperatures brings out the flavour perfectly. (Note to self: book flights to Seville. Immediately.)
3. If you want to double-check how good a jamón you’ve actually got, rub a sliver of the fat between your fingers. The really, reaaaally good stuff will literally just melt into oil from the friction.
4. Slice through the meat with a swift but gentle sawing motion. Slice with one hand only, and then use pincers to pick the meat up and arrange on a plate.
5. IT’S SO MUCH HARDER THAN IT LOOKS.
Turns out, carving jamón is a total art-form. Who knew huh?
It was SUCH a fab evening!
Apart from eating enough jamón to make my Spanish belly feel at peace, we also got stuck into a yummy selection of tapas:
Manchego and quince jelly, crispy calamari and aioli, Spanish tortilla and (my favourite!) pan con tomate. Super juicy tomatoes crushed, drizzled with olive oil and piled on top of crunchy toasted bread. *heart eyed emoji*
We also had a hilarious time playing Hot Pepper Roulette. These green bad boys are a mixed bag of super sweet, and super hot and bitter. There’s literally no way at all of telling what each one is until you bite into it… a dangerous game!
If you’re interested in signing up for a Jamón Masterclass (err, and why would you NOT be?!) then head on over to Camino’s website for more info and the link to book.
It’s one of the most interesting foodie experiences I’ve been to in London and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
(Unless you’re a vegetarian. In which case this one is proooobably not for you…)
CAMINO (Bankside)
5 CANVEY STREET
LONDON
SE1 9NA
PS. Are you signed up to Zomato yet? It’s the BEST food app for Londoners. Fact. I use it aaaall the time for finding new restaurants to try!
*I was invited to try the Masterclass for free, in exchange for a review.
As always, all thoughts, opinions, words + photos are my own! :)
