To enjoy all the characteristic taste and aroma of acorn-fed Iberian ham, you must begin with a deep cut around the elbow of the ham, with a wide-bladed knife. Remove the hard outer skin and any excess fat, leaving around a centimetre of fat on the ham itself. Now place the ham on the cutting support, in such a way that you will begin to cut along the thick part, in very thin, fine slices. For this task, you should use a long, thin, flexible knife, which must be very sharp. The ham should be served moments after being sliced, and always at a high room temperature, around 20º C.

It is convenient to protect the cut with the slices of fat taken from the ham itself or using aluminium foil or a similar material, to prevent the ham from drying out.