¿How to cut the ham?
Step 1: Place the ham on the jamonero (specially designed support) with the hoof facing upwards. You have to make sure that the ham is well fixed on the jamonero. For the first cuttings we will use a knife with a short and wide blade. We will make a first cut to mark the future cutting area and secondly we will remove the skin and other fat that covers the top and sides of the ham until the meat is visible.
	Step 2: After this we have to begin with the skinning of the ham. This consists of withdrawing part of the rind covering the ham, which is formed of natural moulds and exudations that have been produced during the maturing process. Finally when the top surface of the ham is clean and does not contain any more fat, it is time to begin slicing the ham. The fat and skin, that we just have removed, should be preserved, because we will use them for covering the area from which the meat has been cut. This will keep the cut piece fresh and juicy.
Step 3 :The cuts should always be parallel to each other and leave a flat surface. The slices should be almost transparent They must follow the width of the meat and should not be longer than 6 or 7 centimetres. When the main part is cut (with the hoof facing upwards), slices from the central area should be mixed with those of the upper foreleg.
	Step 4: When you reach the bone, the ham should be sliced in smaller pieces so as to mantain a flat surface. The knife with the wider blade is better for cutting this part of ham. If you are not going to cut any more, you should cover the slicing area with some fat pieces, in order to preserve the flavour and the aroma the ham. You also could cover the slicing surface with a damp cloth or kitchen paper.
Step 5: Once you have finished cutting this part, turn the ham over, placing it on the jamonero with the hoof facing downwards. This part of the ham is called babilla. The slices from this part are generally narrower.
	Step 6: Like in the second step, first of all we have to remove the skin and the fat that covers the meat. The meat close to the bones, that cannot be cut into proper slices but rather into strips and irregular pieces, is an excellent complement to many dishes and can even be consumed in small slices. The bones, cut into pieces of 10 to 12 centimetres with a saw, are equally of use in the production of exquisite consommé.