Dry-Cured Hams and Shoulders

Dry-cured hams and shoulders retain the anatomical leg or shoulder, whole or substantially intact, through a long salting and maturation process.

Bone, skin, fat cover, trimming and shaping change diffusion, drying and defect risk. Boneless products are not simply shorter versions of bone-in hams.

Salt application may be dry, brined or combined, but distribution and time depend on mass, geometry and process conditions.

Moisture loss, proteolysis, lipolysis and oxidation shape texture and flavour over time. Surface and core conditions must remain controlled.

Prosciutti, jamones, jambons and other named products can be governed by protected specifications or established traditional methods. The bridge must not flatten them.

Use product-specific raw material, salt, temperature, humidity, time and endpoint evidence, with special attention to deep-muscle and bone-adjacent defects.