The increase of temperature from to 27 to 35 °C applied for 4 days
did not cause any changes in the characteristics of the hams. Oil obtained
from subcutaneous Iberian pork fat salted and aged, when appliedonto dry-cured hamsurface during drying,whichmimics the natural oil drip fromfat, reduced hollowextent, crustiness and toasted flavour and
increased some of the typical positive flavour parameters such as aged
and nutty flavours. An application of oil drip to the surface of the ham
could be an alternative to the common practise of applying rendered
lard, but further studies are needed in order to evaluate the possible
technological and economical advantages.