Get ready to meet my new favorite appetizer, all the way from Spain… Pan con Jamón!
This one is as easy as it gets, but it’s so, so addictive. You only need three ingredients. But please don’t cut corners here, Pan con Jamón is all about the quality. We’ll teach you all…
Whenever we travel, it’s great to take a break from constantly having to come up with new recipes to cook. But sometimes we come across something that just inspires us to whip something up for you in a foreign land.
A few days back, we gave you a recipe for our new favorite veggie dish, Spanish Pisto, cooked at our Airbnb in Mijas, Andalusia.
This one was a little less planned. As we were enjoying our nightly evening tapas (we’ve really gotten into the Spanish routine these few weeks), I suddenly said “I want to share this with my readers!”
So here it is, Pan con Jamón, meaning simply bread with ham (along with a good splash of EVOO).
But this isn’t any regular ham we’re talking about here. No, in Spain the shining star on every tapas menu is jamón ibérico!
What is Jamón Ibérico?
Well it sure ain’t your supermarket deli counter ham. Spanish ham is considered by many the best in the world, and for very good reason. And the crown jewel of their cured pork is jamón ibérico.
It’s made from a particular species of pig, and to qualify as Iberian, it must meet strict raising guidelines. It is also fed a special diet, with the best quality jamón ibérico being fed only acorns for a time prior to slaughter.
It is dry cured, and has a very different texture, and even look, from what we think of as ham in America. You can find whole Iberian hams hanging in special shops all over the country.
And let me tell you, Spaniards are passionate about it. On every tapas menu, the most expensive item is a plate of jamón ibérico. And their bocadillos (baguette sandwiches) often features Iberian ham.
It’s even one of their favorite street foods. They actually sell paper cones full of jamón ibérico (or other ham varieties if you’re on a budget).
Back home, you may be able to find this premium Spanish ham in specialty shops, or order it online. If you’re looking for something a little easier to get ahold of, serrano ham or prosciutto are good substitutions. But please don’t use regular old deli ham, only dry cured.
A Few Variations
A very common variation in Spain is Pan con Tomate y Jamon. It’s the same thing, but with the addition of a layer of grated tomatoes under the ham. Try it, it’s yummy!
We also add a little cheese sometimes. Manchego is the most popular in Spain.
So there you go, a little last minute recipe that we didn’t even plan ahead of time. But we’ve been enjoying it so much, we just wanted to share it with you.
Give it a try, along with a glass of your favorite wine. Maybe you’ll get hooked like we did.
Until next time… adiós!
Pan con Jamón
Pan con Jamón is our new favorite appetizer out of Spain! Good bread, good olive oil, and good dry cured ham. So simple, so delicious!
Ingredients
- good quality bread (like baguette)
- extra virgin olive oil
- dry cured ham (jamón ibérico, serrano ham, or prosciutto)
Instructions
- cut the bread into round slices, about 3/4 inch thick
- drizzle on extra virgin olive oil
- add on some ham
- give it an extra little drizzle of olive oil
- enjoy!
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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