Christmas is here and it is time to select a 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham to enjoy with family, friends or to give as a gift to loved ones. Iberian ham, as is the tradition on these dates, is one of the essential products on Spanish tables and an emblem on the menus for these Christmas dates.
Sánchez Romero Carvajal, the emblematic brand from Jabugo with more than 140 years of history, offers you some advice on how to choose a true ‘Pata Negra’.
What appearance, shape and taste must it have to be a 100% Iberico ham de bellota?
Morphology is an important aspect to be able to differentiate them. 100% Iberian hams such as those from Sánchez Romero Carvajal are stylized, elongated and have a very thin shank. Their hooves are worn because, as they live in the pasture, they are animals that have been ranged and bred for almost two years of their lives in the wild, in which they travel an average of 14 km per day.
They are also characterized by their oily fat, which becomes oily to the touch and makes the product melt in the mouth. A slice of 100% Iberian ham should have a very fine, uniform and almost imperceptible marbling in some places, such as the hock.
The meat is a very intense and bright red color, since, even if we do not see the infiltration, we can see the shine of the oil that it releases during the cut. The result in the mouth is the best part of the process, a ham with a unique and incomparable flavor, an indescribable aroma that moves the senses and an exquisite texture that melts when you taste it.
The black label or flange, an essential for consumer confidence
The label or flange of each ham must be official and come from the organizations that can assign it once all the necessary inspections have been passed. These organizations are, on the one hand, ASICI (Interprofessional Association of the Iberian Pig) and, on the other hand, the DO (Denomination of Origin).
In addition to the logo of the official organizations, it is important to take into account the color of the label, identified by the Iberian Pig Quality Standard in four colors: white, green, red and black. These are differentiated based on the breed of the animal, its feeding and management, determinants of the final quality of the product, although not solely responsible, since the traditional and artisan production and the local climate of Jabugo are very important for the production of authentic Acorn-fed ham 100%.
Black Bridle – 100% Iberian Bellota Ham:
Top quality category. 100% Iberian pigs raised in freedom during the montanera and with a 100% natural diet based on acorns or food found in the hundred-year-old Dehesas of the Peninsular Southwest such as wild fruits, roots, mushrooms, aromatic plants or small invertebrates. Each animal, with a process of 14 months of breeding, has a minimum area of 0.85 hectares per animal.
Red Brida – Acorn-fed Iberian Ham:
The animals come from pigs crossed up to 50% with another non-Iberian breed. In this case, they also live in freedom in Montanera with a minimum area of 0.85 hectares per animal and they feed on acorns during that period.
Green Bridle – Iberian Field Cebo Ham:
The animals come from crossed Iberian Pigs and have a breeding process of less than 12 months. They are raised intensively outdoors or extensively with a minimum of 100m2 per animal and are fed with grass and feed.
White Bridle – Iberian Cebo Ham:
Lower quality category. The main difference with respect to the green bridle is that its diet is based on feed and that it is reared in intensive feedlots with an area of 2m2 per animal.
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