How to Carve a Jamón (and Store It Once It's Open)

Step by step: which side to start on, how to cut thin slices, what to do with the bone, and how to keep a whole leg or an opened pack of Ibérico ham fresh.

By The Spain at the Table team · Updated September 28, 2026

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A whole leg of ham on the counter is a Spanish Christmas classic. Carving it well is a skill, but the basics fit on one page: a firm stand, a flexible knife, thin slices and patience. Here’s how it’s done in Spain, and how to keep the ham — whole or sliced — at its best once it’s open.

What you need

• A ham stand (jamonero) that holds the leg firmly. A wobbling leg is the main cause of accidents.
• A long, thin, flexible ham knife for slicing.
• A short, stiff knife for removing the rind and cutting around the bone.
• A sharpening steel, a clean cotton cloth, and a plate at room temperature.
• A cut-resistant glove for the hand that holds the ham. Recommended, especially the first time.

Which side to start on

The leg has two sides: the maza, the thick, juicy side, and the babilla (or contramaza), the thinner, drier side.

• You’ll finish it in a few weeks (a family Christmas, a party): place it hoof up and start on the maza, the best part, while it’s at its juiciest.
• You’ll eat it slowly: place it hoof down and start on the babilla. It dries out faster, so it’s better eaten first, and the maza stays protected.

Step by step

1. Clean the outside. A white bloom or mold on the skin is normal on a cured leg. Wipe it off with a cloth dampened with a little olive oil.
2. Remove the rind only where you’ll carve. With the short knife, cut away the skin and the yellowish outer fat from a strip a few fingers wide. Keep the pieces of white fat: you’ll use them to cover the ham.
3. Make a stop cut near the hock. A deep cut across the leg, just below the hoof end, gives your slices a clean edge.
4. Slice thin, almost transparent pieces, about 2 inches (5–6 cm) long, cutting away from your body with long, gentle strokes. Each slice should have a little fat on its edge.
5. Keep the surface flat. Carve evenly across the whole cut face, like planing wood. Holes and steps dry out and waste ham.
6. Go around the bone with the short knife when you reach the hip bone.
7. Turn the leg over when one side is finished and repeat on the other side.
8. The hock and the tip are harder to slice: cut them into small cubes (taquitos) for snacks, croquetas or stews.
9. Don’t throw away the bone. Ask a butcher to cut it into pieces and use it for stock, soups and bean stews.

Serve the slices in a single layer, not piled up, and eat them straight away.

How to store a whole leg once it’s open

• Cover the cut face with the pieces of white fat you removed, then with a clean cotton cloth. Don’t wrap the whole leg in plastic: it sweats.
• Keep it somewhere cool and dry, away from the stove, radiators and direct sun. It doesn’t go in the fridge.
• Plan to finish it in about 6–8 weeks. If the surface has dried between sessions, remove the first thin slice and carry on.

How to store sliced packs

• Unopened: keep them as the label says, usually in the fridge.
• Before eating: take the pack out 20–30 minutes early. Cold fat has no flavor; at room temperature it turns glossy and aromatic.
• Open the pack completely and lay the slices on a plate.
• Leftovers: cover tightly, keep in the fridge and eat within a day or two. We don’t recommend freezing: it spoils the texture.

Quick reference

Not sure a whole leg is for you?

Carving takes practice and a leg is a big commitment. Professionally hand-carved packs give you the same ham, cut by a cortador, with no waste. → Whole leg vs pre-sliced

Keep reading

→ Iberico vs Serrano ham · A Spanish tapas bar at home · Gifts for jamón lovers