Excellent cured ham in MTL

[nextguy]

Can anyone suggest a good place to get excellent cured ham (serrano, prosciutto, westphalia, etc.) in Montreal? I mean the really excellent, chestnut fed, sliced by a skilled artisan using a 150 year old knife, money is no object kind. When I was in Portugal a few years ago I had some Spanish ham that was just unspeakably good. I have been to Atwater and JTM but found nothing really inspiring.

Thanks!

[mtlalex]

So the Spanish can really get carried away with ham, and that's another discussion.

You can get the top-end Spanish hams at the Fromagerie du Marche Atwater, although as many have pointed out it will be machine sliced, and unless you really insist, sliced far to thin, unlike the thick slices you'll get from the sellers at La Boqueria.

BUT - Les Cochons Tout Rond - the Iles de la Madeleine charcutier with a stand at the JTM, sells a dried ham that I think competes pretty favorably with the imports. And as with Quebec cheese, what it might lose in quality, it gains in freshness and proper handling. Worth a try.

http://www.cochonstoutronds.com/

-----
Les Cochons Tout Ronds
7070 Av Henri-Julien, Montreal, QC H2S3S3, CA

[wattacetti]

It's a nice product, but it's cured for only a year and is intended to be in the style of prosciutto. No specific pork breed mentioned but they certainly don't get fattened on acorns.

[mtlalex]

Agreed. But I would argue that buying directly from the producer, the added freshness resulting from minimal and proper handling can outweigh the fact that it's a less "exotic" or "high-end" product. Not a replacement for "jamón ibérico de bellota", but worth a try nonetheless.

[nextguy]

I have had their ham before but it didn't click in my head until I went to their website and saw a picture of their shop at JTM. I actually did not enjoy their product at the time. I found it too salty and grainy.

[wattacetti]

It's a replacement for prosciutto. It's a fresher product, but I think it's missing some porky complexity due to the short cure time relative to competitors.

[Chocolatesa]

I've bought Iberico de Bellota at the Fromagerie Atwater as well as Fromagerie Hamel at the Jean-Talon market. It's machine sliced but maybe you can ask them to slice with a knife.

[nextguy]

Perhaps. But at the same time I wonder if the counter person is skilled enough. Anyways, I had the Iberico this week. Although it was good, I have to say it is not as good as the one I had in Portugal. Maybe it was stored or cut incorrectly. The flavour was almost cheesy. It was still much better than any other raw, cured ham I have had in Montreal though.

[nextguy]

I think it is worthwhile to discuss how the meat is sliced as well. I was only half joking when I mentioned the 150 year old knife. I recall hearing or reading that the velocity of meat slicers changes the texture of the meat from friction. If I spend 240/Kg on iberico I expect a high level of respect for the product. Do any of the mentioned shops not use a slicer?

[SnackHappy]

I don't know about friction from meat slicers, but I do know I greatly prefer the texture of hand cut jamon. I would never pay that kind of money for machine sliced jamon iberico. Anyway, you can't slice bone-in ham with a meat slicer so it has to be hand sliced.

[nextguy]

The person behind the counter usually angles the ham away from the bone just to use the slicer. Then when they can't use the slicer any more they cut off the remaining chunks, dice it, and sell like that. Honestly, I think it is absurd that they don't just learn how to hand slice a ham. It takes a bit of skill and most people working the counter are either students just trying to make a few bucks or people that just don't understand or care.

[nextguy]

I just got back from Hamel at JTM and picked up some Iberico. It was selling for 351 /Kg. Pricey and machine cut unfortunately. I hope it was worth it.

[wattacetti]

Your other alternative is to order it yourself from la Tienda. They now have Iberico available for shipment to Canada. Cinco Jotas is currently a pre-order with a deposit of $400 and a final price about $1800 for the ham. And yes, it's worth it.

Locally, Fromagerie Hamel at Atwater had some, but it wasn't the greatest jamon I've ever tasted.

[SnackHappy]

For $1800 you could buy a plane ticket to Spain and a Cinco Jotas jamon and eat it there.

[wattacetti]

Not really. AC to Madrid runs around $900 after fees (unless you went on points), and unless you can eat the entire ham while shuffling around the Barajas waiting for the next-day return flight, you'll need at least one night's room and board.

Then there's the cost of the 5J; it's not cheap, even in Spain. 400-500€ or more depending on the leg.

[SnackHappy]

Exactly, $900 for the flight, $650 for the ham, and you have $250 left to spend a week alone in hostal with your jamon.

All I meant was that a 200% mark-up is completely ridonkulous. And I can't begin to imagine the customs brokerage fees for that thing. Especially if they used UPS.

EDIT: Oh and checking the La Tienda website, the Cinco Jotas doesn't seem to be available for shipment to Canada. They only offer the Fermin Serrano.

[wattacetti]

Odd - Cinco jotas was available for shipment a couple of weeks ago.

Anyway, my idea of Spain is not wallowing in a hostel and 190€ is not quite a day's expenses. Besides, we already willingly pay 200% markup on a lot of things (e.g. at the SAQ).

[hungryann]

'spend a week alone in a hostel with your jamon" LMAO
It reminds me of a Simpsons episode when he cheats on his diet and takes a whole gyros to a motel room!!! hahaha

[kpaxonite]

I think you mean acorns, not chestnuts.

I didnt look at snack happy's link but it probably talks about la veille europe and librarie espagnole; they have it there or can acquire it for you.

[SnackHappy]

I think you're looking for dry-cured ham. All ham is cured. That's what makes it ham and not rotten pork leg.

That being said, I think the dry-cured ham you want is jamon iberico. Take a look at this thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/516715