Contraband Pig

This weekend's Journal features a piece on jamón ibérico de bellota, a rare and, for another month, illegal Spanish jamón. Unlike most American hams, jamón is dry cured with less salt and no chemicals, and then set to age for months if not years.

Photo by Flickr user su-lin and used under Creative Commons license by-nc-nd.

The most delicious Spanish ham is jamón ibérico, from the Black Iberian Pig, prized for their ability to accumulate large amounts of subcutaneous and intra-muscle fat, and known for a penchant for acorns (bellotas). Amazingly succulent, with fatty ribbons crisscrossing the meat, the ham has a deliciously nutty taste imparted by the acorn diet.

Among Iberico hams, jamón ibérico de bellota is the créme de la créme, from free-ranged black-footed pigs who spend their latter life eating up to 20 lbs of acorns a day in oak forests, before visiting the abattoir and dry-aging for an impressive 36 months. Allowed to roam free, these pigs enjoy exercise and an acorn diet that yields an even nuttier, more marbled ham.

Photo by Wikipedia user Comakut and used under Creative Commons license by-sa.

I had the pleasure of savoring a couple ounces of jamón ibérico de bellota at Mercat, my favorite Manhattan tapas bar—and quite likely the joint where "the owner offered contraband portions of bellota until U.S. Customs nabbed one of those precious porcine back legs". There, befriending the manager/sommelier resulted in a "try this, its illegal" plate thrust in front of us. Nutty, perfectly marbled, with an intense ham aroma, it was heaven.

Preorder today at La Tienda for delivery next month, only $199 down and $1400 net. At just $164/lb it is worth every penny.