How it is the Iberico Bellota ham made, we will explain it to you!

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The Iberian pigThe pig is a wonderful animal that is part of the famous Med... is a unique species of our peninsula and with an unparalleled genetic peculiarity: it has the ability to infiltrate fatThe bacon of the ham/jamón is the layer of fat that covers ... More into the muscle. But what does this really mean? This is the factor by which the hamIberian ham (jamón ibérico) is a culinary tradition in Spa... More obtained from the Iberian pig is juicier than the one from the white pigThe white pig is a breed of pig, which apart from the Iberia... and, if you want to know how is the Iberico Bellota ham made, you are at the right place; here is all the information you need to know!

The relevant factors for an Iberico Bellota ham to be considered as such

There are two critical aspects for a ham to be called Iberico de bellotaAccording to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, th... (acornThe sugar from acorns is an important component in the produ... More):

1. The species: we have already talked about the Iberian breedThe Iberian pig is a breed of pig originating from the Iberi... More, but not all the pigs of this breed are obtained from both Iberian fathers and mothers: in some cases, the racial purity is less than 100%; does this mean that their legs can no longer be categorised as Iberico Bellota? No it doesn’t. All the Iberian pigsThe Iberian pig is an animal of the porcine breed, the name ... that descend from at least one Iberian progenitor (this is usually the mother) are to be considered Iberian. Therefore, in order to preserve the characteristics of the Iberian breed, such as its fat infiltration capacity or the more stylised shape of its legs, among others, when it has to be crossed with another breed, the Duroc breed, typical of the United States and with similar characteristics (but not the same) to the Iberian breed, is the chosen one.
2. The feeding: all the pigs, Iberian or not, are fattened with animal feedCebo means feed in Spanish. In the dictionary we find two me... until they have reached 100 kg. of weight and, once they have, the producers decide whether or not they are taken to make the Montanera seasonThe Montanera Season is a period in which pigs are free in t..., where they will be fed on acorns and wild herbs. The products obtained from pigs brought to the pasturelandThe Iberian Pastureland is a type of ecosystem made up of ho... and fed on acorns are called Iberico Bellota hamsHam is one of the star products of the Spanish gastronomy, a....

How to make Iberico Bellota ham

Once the Iberian pig, fed in the pastureland, has already finished the fattening and has reached 150 kg. of weight, the productionJamón is a Spanish traditional cured meat made from the hin... More process of the hams begins; it is the “cooking stage”as we call it in Enrique Tomás and this usually lasts about three years.

The first step is salting, when the hams are buried in saltSalt is an essential ingredient in the curing of jamón, as ... More for an average of one day per kilogram, i.e. if a leg weighs 14 kilos, it will be buried for around 14 days. Although in the four Iberian ham origins the salting is similar, each area has its own peculiarities and it must be borne also in mind that most of the ham shoulders and hams have a V-shaped cutThe cutting of ham is a skill that requires a lot of dexteri... More in the upper part to allow the salt to penetrate better; however, there is an exception, the JabugoJabugo is a town located in the Sierra de Aracena, in the pr... More ham shoulders.

After this, the next phase is drying
Drying the jamón is an essential process in the product... More and usually lasts about six months during which fat infiltrates between the muscle fibers. This stage starts between March and April and all the producers have to do is maintain the temperature and humidity that the ham pieces need.

Finally, the curingWhen we talk about curing in gastronomy we are talking about... stage arrives, and this depends on the type of ham or ham shoulder to be dried, being about 24 months in the case of  Iberico Bellota ham shoulder and three years in the case of hams. At this stage, it is necessary to be more attentive to these delicacies, as they must be greased from time to time in order to protect them and ensure that they are cured as homogeneously as possible. It is important to watch each piece in detail because only by supervising them one by one, the area where they has less fat can be seen properly and, therefore, where more lardIberian lard is a creamy white fat obtained from the Iberian... More must be put to prevent it from drying out. After this process, the hams and ham shoulders will be ready….now you know how long it takes for a ham to cure!

Now that you know how to make Iberico Bellota ham and understand why it is so well appreciated, there is one more thing to keep in mind. This production process followed by Iberico Bellota pigs is no different from that of the Iberico de Cebo or  Serrano hams, but it is considerably longer. For example, a Gran Reserva hamSerrano ham is considered a premium ham that is at the top o... shoulder hung in the drying roomThe dryer according to the dictionary is the place to dry fo... for fifteen months will be ready, a time far away from the two years needed for Iberico Bellota Iberian pigs. Therefore, this product is more expensive because, in addition to coming from an animal whose meat is juicier, it has needed more attention and care for longer time – only experts in the field are able to produce this first-rate delicacy!

Resumen

Tipo de servicio

Sliced ham

Nombre del proveedor

ENRIQUE TOMÁS S.L.,

C/ Occitania 45,Badalona,Barcelona-08911,
Telephone No.+34 93 383 84 85

Área

Sales Dpt.

Descripción

If you want to know how an Iberico Bellota ham is made, where it comes from, its characteristics and flavours...We will explain it to you!

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