Paco Carrasco
Maestro Jamon Slicer
By Grace Collins
Trends Columnist for Copa Style Magazine
Out of what may seem like an insignificant job is another connoisseurs lucrative livelihood.
A new job title in America was born in 2018 unless perhaps you're entrenched in the cuisine of Spain. Maestro Jamon Slicer, Paco Carrasco was born in Huelva, Spain and came to United States in 2006 to start his new life living “the American Dream”. He was sponsored by a restaurant promoting Spanish products when all of a sudden all of the employees were given the pink slip just a year later. So in 2007, struggling to make ends meet Paco was invited to the exclusive Napa Valley “Flavors of the World” conference which was only for all of the best chefs in America. It was then he had the good fortune to meet a fellow Spainard Jose Andres, now one of America's most beloved celebrity chefs (Jose owns 33 restaurants) turned Nobel Peace prized nominated philanthropist. Jose Andres definitely inspired Paco's career who took him under his wing, and instilled in him a hard work ethic, and encouraged him to be the best at what every he does. But most of all to always have fun. If you follow Jose's formula you can make it in America.
A new job title in America was born in 2018 unless perhaps you're entrenched in the cuisine of Spain. Maestro Jamon Slicer, Paco Carrasco was born in Huelva, Spain and came to United States in 2006 to start his new life living “the American Dream”. He was sponsored by a restaurant promoting Spanish products when all of a sudden all of the employees were given the pink slip just a year later. So in 2007, struggling to make ends meet Paco was invited to the exclusive Napa Valley “Flavors of the World” conference which was only for all of the best chefs in America. It was then he had the good fortune to meet a fellow Spainard Jose Andres, now one of America's most beloved celebrity chefs (Jose owns 33 restaurants) turned Nobel Peace prized nominated philanthropist. Jose Andres definitely inspired Paco's career who took him under his wing, and instilled in him a hard work ethic, and encouraged him to be the best at what every he does. But most of all to always have fun. If you follow Jose's formula you can make it in America.
Chef Nobu Matsuhisha Chef, Chef Jose Andres and Paco
At that conference none of the American chefs knew that real Jamon must be sliced by an expert. Paco having lots of experience (since he was 12 years old slicing Jamon in his mother's kitchen) realized there was a niche he could fill and decided to be the best Jamon slicer in the US. Real Jamon is always presented on the bone and its sacrilegious to cut it using a machine, it must be cut by hand, an expert on a Jamonera, a special purpose-built stand which ensures uniform long and thin slices along the bone. Since that the 2007 conference where he met Jose Andres, Paco has trained many of his head chefs, sous chefs and even some waiters on how to properly carve this specialty ham.
Paco explained “ This is not something that you can learn in America, there are no courses on it in culinary institutes. We don't even know if the Department of Labor has a job title code for ham slicers of Jamon."
Paco explained “ This is not something that you can learn in America, there are no courses on it in culinary institutes. We don't even know if the Department of Labor has a job title code for ham slicers of Jamon."
What is Jamon you ask? Basically it Spain's version of Prosciutto. Iberico ham is from a special “black hog” which is a delicacy and the descendant of the original wild hog that roamed the shores during cavemen times which only accounts for about 10% of what the Spain exports to the world. There are different grades of pigs which is based on how it is raised, fed and how long it has been cured. Some Jamon is cured for a minimum of nine months to all the way up to three years which defines the cost, like fine wine, truffles and caviar. Free range pastures of Iberico pigs are reared mostly from the South Western part of Spain and only munch on a diet of grass and acorns (belotta) from the Holly or Holm Oak trees which gives its distinct acorn nutty flavor.
There is also another more popular supermarket type of Jamon called Serrano (mountain ham) named after pigs that are “all white” which represents 90% of Spanish hand made hams which a person can even buy at Costco. The quality of the best Serrano, which is called “Consorcio de Jamon Serrano” guarantees that the meat was cured for at least nine months still costs the average consumer a pretty penny. However, extremely great Jamon Iberico and Serrano are considered a priceless delicacy. If you ever traveled to Spain, one quite often sees the ham hanging in the charcuteria. Because of the way the pig is raised, all organic, no stress roaming the pastures freely and feeding only on acorns it is one of the leanest and healthiest cuts of meats. High in omega-3 oil's, 55% oleic acid (a healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acid) and only olive oil has a higher oleic acid content. After years of scientific studies Jamon ham has proven to have a positive effect on increasing the good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL), thus considered the most “cardiohealthy” of all animal fats even more than some plants. It is also filled with folic acid, vitamin E, B1, B6 and B12. And rich minerals calcium, iron, zinc magnesium, selenium and copper all essential for building cartilage and bones.
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I've had the privilege of knowing Paco Carrasco since 2010 but I never really understood or could keep up with his sporadic calendar and career path until doing this in depth interview with him. I was always perplexed as to why Jose Andres heralded his work, with crowds of chefs and hundreds of people at the Fancy Food Show would gather around him as he carved the Jamon. Paco explained to me carving ham is indigenous to Spanish cuisine. After he lost his job in 2007 simultaneously the USDA began to approve of the importation of Iberico ham to America and it was at that Napa Valley event he ended up being the only person there who knew how to carve Spain's most prized delicacy to a group of America's famous chefs. Many culinary aficionados of Spanish cuisine consider Jamon to be one of their national treasure of food delicacies. After that conference Paco went back to Spain and realized no one in who's who of chefs knew the importance of carving Iberico ham as a culinary art skill. Paco went back to Spain in 2008 to one of the prestigious Jamon companies who taught him the basic foundation of slicing ham and with his own self taught style he has now won him title as 'Master Ham Slicer' at Jose Andres' company the Think Food Group. He learned to intertwine traditional slicing with his own unique style.
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Watching Maestro Paco work his craft with such meticulous speed, passion and intense seriousness is like watching “Edward Scissor Hands” playing a delicate harp and that every incision must be precise to get the most meat off the bone, beautifully uniform cuts for presentation and exactly where the acorn flavor would burst the minute it touched ones tongue is nothing short of a symphonic expression of contentment when one bites into the Jamon. I’ve watched crowds grabbing the slices even before they hit the plate as he performs much like a culinary surgeon.
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Who would think this low key guy dragging two large duffle bags on an off planes that he is carrying over $5,000+ of hams and in the other bag his knives (special to Jamon carving) Paco explained a few frustrating but humorous experiences being stopped by the TSA airport security officials as he tried to explain his job title.
Paco is quiet about his accomplishments but through my prodding questions found out he has also carved Jamon for celebrity chefs like, Daniel Boulud, Andrew Zimmerman, Dani Garcia and Ferran Adria, (who is considered the best chef in the world.) When I asked him out of all the thousands of events he's worked which were the most memorable in his career and he mentioned carving for the Queen of Spain when she came to America, the private wedding of famous NBA Pau Gasol at the exclusive homes of celebrity musicians like, Julio Iglesias, Gloria Stephan, Alejandzo Sanz, and Lil Stefan. One of his most exciting was being on stage in front of 25,000 people for the Aero Flynn concert with Jose Andres. In 2018 Paco opened the first Jamon slicing school in the US at his warehouse retail shop located in Miami, Florida. Paco has unlimited energy but somehow manages to always be on time juggling all his different gigs all over the world but he also savvy enough to have few a residual business income streams with websites that gives him a consistent income which are: https://www.hamslicerfrancisco.com/
https://ham-cheese-wine.com |
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A true enthusiast of Jamon would say to just eat the Jamon by the slice and appreciate it for its pure essence however it is ending up being used in other dishes as creative chefs are trying to add this high end meat to boost their dishes appeal. I even tried my hand in incorporating the ham as I enjoy trying to learn from every restaurant I eat to see how I can make it my own version of a restaurant most favored dishes. I leave however to the Department of Labor to figure out where to put Jamon slicing as a coded employment opportunity. For many, a Master Jamon slicer may seem like an insignificant job, but anyone who takes a closer look at this knows that indeed it is a very bankable business to be in.
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Ham Cheese Wine
7320 NW 12th Street
Miami, Florida 33126
Suite #116
Phone: 786.237.9055
www.ham-cheese-wine.com
info@ham-cheese-wine.com
Miami, Florida 33126
Suite #116
Phone: 786.237.9055
www.ham-cheese-wine.com
info@ham-cheese-wine.com