Presunto do Alentejo

Presunto do Alentejo (How to Enjoy Portuguese Cured Ham at Home)

Presunto do Alentejo is a dry-cured ham from the Alentejo region of Portugal, aged at least 12 months and typically much longer. At home you won't be making the ham from scratch, but you can serve it the traditional way: thinly sliced at room temperature, paired simply with bread, olives and a good Portuguese wine.

Prep

10 min

Total

10 min

Serves

6-8 as a starter

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) Presunto do Alentejo, bone-in, buy a whole or half leg from a Portuguese deli; do not substitute Serrano or prosciutto if you want authenticity
• •1 small loaf Alentejo country bread (pão alentejano), a dense, slightly sour crusty white loaf; any rustic crusty bread is fine at home
• •100 g (3½ oz) cured black olives, Azeitonas de Conserva, ideally from the Alentejo
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, Azeite de Moura or other Portuguese EVOO if possible
• •1 whole ripe fig or fresh melon wedge

Steps

1. 1 Remove the presunto from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving (ideally 2 hours). Cured ham is served at room temperature so the fat softens and the aromas open up; cold ham tastes flat and the fat feels waxy.
2. 2 Place the ham on a wooden board, bone-side down for stability. With a long, thin slicing knife (a jamonero if you have one), cut wafer-thin slices against the grain, holding the knife at a low angle and drawing it across the leg.
3. 3 For each portion, arrange 4-6 slices on a plate, allowing them to fold naturally rather than laying them flat. Always slice only what you will eat now; cut slices oxidize and lose their silky texture within 20-30 minutes.
4. 4 Cover the cut surface of the ham loosely with a clean cloth (not plastic wrap) and store in a cool place between servings. A traditional ham-holder (support) is ideal; at home, stand the leg in a tall glass or wrap the exposed face in parchment and refrigerate, then bring back to room temperature before the next serving.
5. 5 Cut the bread into thick slices, rub lightly with a drop of olive oil and (optional) a halved ripe fig or melon wedge. Do not toast: Alentejano bread is meant to be eaten fresh and soft next to the ham.
6. 6 Serve the sliced presunto with the bread, olives, a small dish of olive oil for drizzling, and the fruit. Provide a sharp knife so guests can help themselves from the leg.
7. 7 Pair with a glass of chilled Vinho Verde Branco or a young Alentejo red. Eat with fingers or simple knife and fork - the bread is there to cushion each slice of ham, not as a sandwich base.
8. 8 Keep the bone. After the meat is fully sliced off, simmer the bone for 1-2 hours in water with onion, carrot and bay to make a traditional caldo de presunto for soups, bean stews or cooking rice.