An Introduction To Jamon Iberico De Bellota

Black Iberian piglets are given the best treatment

. The piglets are fattened with barley and maize directly after weaning. They are allowed to run around the pasture and oak groves after a few weeks so that they can happily feed on grasses, acorns, roots, and herbs. They are allowed to do this until it is time for them to be slaughtered.

Black Iberian pigs live in south and southwest regions of Spain including the provinces of Ciudad Real, Salamanca, Huelva, Seville, Caceres, Cordoba, and Badajoz. They are also found in the southeastern parts of Portugal and are properly called porco de raca alentejana. Black Iberian piglets are given the best treatment. The piglets are fattened with barley and maize directly after weaning. They are allowed to run around the pasture and oak groves after a few weeks so that they can happily feed on grasses, acorns, roots, and herbs. They are allowed to do this until it is time for them to be slaughtered.

Slaughtering

A few weeks before the pigs are to be slaughtered; They are only fed on a diet of acorns. This gives them the distinction of being called jamon iberico de bellota. Those that do not have this exclusive label or are considered lower quality are only fed on a mixed diet of acorn and commercial feed.

The Curing Process

Exercise and diet greatly impact the flavor of the cured meat. The curing process for Iberico ham lasts for twelve months while the Iberico Bellota Ham would be cured longer. The careful process of curing starts by salting it so that bacteria will not penetrate the ham. This would require a few weeks so that salt can penetrate the meat. They are hung and left to dry for a few weeks in factories with open windows so that the cold mountain air can circulate around the hams. The extraordinary amounts of time needed to cure these hams are because of the tremendous amounts of fat on each ham. Iberico Bellota hams take a longer time to cure than ordinary Iberico Ham due to their antioxidant rich diets. Almost half of their fats are lost during this curing period as it drips away.

Periods of cold and warmth coincide with the curing cycles. These seasons are needed to help cure the meat. After a few more weeks, the salted hams begin to sweat and may chemical changes occur in the meat. Later on, the meat becomes drier and starts to cool when winter comes. These cycles of cooling, heating, drying, and warming are repeated are repeated two or three times to build up the layers of flavors of the bellota ham.

What is the Jamon Iberico Bellota?

This is the finest Iberian ham because of the pigs' strictly acorn diet. Its unique curing process results in the incredible changes in the chemistry of the meat. Oleic acids come from the saturated fats that have been converted into monounsaturated fats with the help of antioxidants from the acorns. Oleic acid is known to slow down the development of heart diseases and increases the production of antioxidants in our body. Its unique diet of acorns also gives its very unique taste and the curing process that lasts up to 36 months lends that delicate mouth feel.

Iberico bellota ham is not usually used for cooking but is best served as appetizers, as part of cheese platters, and even as a main course. Iberico ham is best eaten raw and paired with your choice of wine or Rioja.

by: Lamberto Fresnillo

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