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Updated · The New York Times · May 10Ernesto Soriano carves cured ham for Madrid Open guests
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 10
- At last month's tournament in Madrid, the 53-year-old Joselito cutter served hundreds of VIPs and helped oversee plating for thousands more.
- Soriano had to manage a team slicing more than a dozen 2020-vintage ham legs, each weighing nearly 20 pounds, during busy afternoon and night shifts.
- He moved into Joselito's top role after the previous lead cutter failed to recover from a ham-related elbow injury suffered after last year's Open.
How does a master carver's performance transform a simple leg of ham into a luxury experience? How will Spain's swine fever trade bans affect the projected 13% growth of its luxury ham market? Is Jamón Ibérico’s 'healthy' label a marketing triumph over general advice against processed meats?