Dry-cured Ham (jamón) and Ham Shoulder (paletilla) , what's the difference?

The important thing is to distinguish between what is a Ham Hind Leg and a Ham Front Leg:

To distinguish the differences in the choice of a dry-cured (pata negra) ham leg you should observe the shape of a ham (hind leg) or shoulder ham (front leg). If you know the differences, you can understand what type of product you are buying.

Ham is a dry-cured hind leg bigger than a Ham Shoulder, with more amount of meat and with more contrast of flavours and taste. It is more expensive but it is worth to pay as it is a premium product. An average weight of a Hamis 7,5 kgs which produces throughly 33 portions of 100 g each of sliced ham. 

A Ham Shoulder is normally more difficult to slice as the ratio meat/bone is smaller therefore you should be a good master slicer to avoid waste. Nevertheless, the ham shoulder it is an excelente product. It is a good solution for a consumption at home because an average weight of a ham shoulder is 4,5 kgs which produces throughly 15 portions of 100 g each of slice ham shoulder, which means to consume a portion each couple of days, and the whole piece in a couple of weeks.

Both are delicious. Don't miss the opportunity to taste them.