Iberian ham or shoulder ham knife cut or sliced, is one of the possible formats to choose when eating an Iberian ham or shoulder ham. This is undoubtedly the most convenient and quickest way to enjoy this product. Opting to buy a complete Iberian ham knife cut by a professional is a great option, especially for those consumers who are not skilled at cutting a ham and want to enjoy this product to the fullest, as this format respects all the characteristics of the Iberian ham intact.
One of the main advantages of opting for a complete ham knife cut by an expert, in addition to the convenience of consuming a ham in this format, is that, like boneless Iberian ham, this option has no waste whatsoever. A whole ham, with bone, has around 40-50% waste, as it is necessary to remove rind, fat and bone, whereas a sliced ham is completely clean and ready to eat in its entirety.
This, together with the work of cutting a whole ham with a knife by an expert cutter, which on average takes between 2 and 3 hours to cut a piece of about 7 or 8 kg, is what makes the price/kg of a knife cut ham higher than that of a ham on the bone.
Therefore, the decision to opt for a knife-cut ham will depend, in addition to the price, on the skill when cutting a piece with bone, as well as on the preference when it comes to consuming and preserving it, since to preserve a ham with bone you will need a ham holder and a cool, dry place, while to preserve a knife cut ham, a refrigerator is sufficient.
If you want to enjoy the convenience of preserving and consuming a sliced ham or shoulder ham while saving on price, you can opt for the sliced format, as this cut requires less time than the knife cut one and is more economic product.
Plates of knife cut ham should be kept in the refrigerator, avoiding knocks and keeping an eye on the plastic packaging, as this could be damaged, causing the vacuum to be lost. If the plastic packaging is punctured, it should be removed immediately and the product should be consumed as soon as possible.
When a knife cut ham plate is to be consumed, it is recommended to take it out of the refrigerator about 2 hours before consumption, so that it can reach the optimum temperature for its enjoyment. Similarly, it is recommended to open and oxygenate the ham plate for at least 5 minutes. Lastly, it is advisable to consume the ham plate knife cut in its entirety. If this is not possible, you can store the leftover pieces in the refrigerator wrapped in aluminium foil and consume them in the next few days.
It is recommended to follow all the above instructions both for the preservation of the knife cut ham and for its maximum enjoyment. It is important that the ham is at an optimum temperature, around 25 degrees, so that you can appreciate all its flavour, creaminess and texture.