Man With a Ham

José Andrés Schools Standard Grill on Ibérico Cutting

Andrés shows you how it's done.
Andrés shows you how it’s done.

The Standard Grill, the new restaurant at the Standard Hotel, has been open for a solid three weeks now, which is more than enough time for A-listers to have stormed through the place (we saw Cameron Diaz dining with owner André Balazs on one recent night, for example). Though the roast chicken is probably worth mentioning, the venue is also serving a bit of charcuterie, including Jamon Ibérico, the dankest of Spanish cured ham — which brings us to the dankest of Spanish chefs, and an A-lister of another sort: one José Andrés. Andrés randomly came through last week and wound up giving the staff some impromptu ham-cutting lessons, according to our tipster at the bar:

It was last Thursday, early, around 5 p.m. José was at the bar with some friends. They ordered the assorted charcuterie plate, and when the guy was slicing up the Jamón Ibérico, José decided that he could give some pointers. So, he hopped behind the bar and showed the charcuterie-er how to perfectly slice the ham. He removed the outer layer of skin with the knife, and then he sliced the leg into a perfect straight edge. He also told André [Balazs] that he was going to send him a knife that is traditionally used for slicing this type of ham.
José Andrés Schools Standard Grill on Ibérico Cutting