Sylvain is obviously proud. "I was trained by a champion of Spain," he says, withdrawing his jamonero, or ham-slicing knife, from its sheath, preparing to begin the demonstration. "I've been doing this now for about 15 years."
He's standing in front of a carefully positioned leg of jamon iberico?, that famous Spanish ham, its black hoof clamped into a brace, its meaty upper side exposed and ready for slicing. There's an air of reverence in the room – this isn't just any old jamon iberico we're about to slice up, but a "5 Jotas" jamon iberico de bellota?, the very best of the very best. The pig was raised on a certain pasture near Seville; it was fed only acorns; its rich, sweet meat is coveted around the world. And it's ours.
Sylvain takes hold of a smaller, dagger-like knife, the puntilla?, and plunges it into the flesh up near the hoof. With two small swivels he's made a deep slice down to the bone – that's where the carving will begin. "From here," Sylvain says, "you begin to carve off the excess fat. You run the knife blade down the leg like this, and keep removing strips of fat."
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Illawarra Mercury