The Unique Curing Process of Iberico de Bellota

The pigs that produce Jamon Iberico de Bellota are bred in a special way. Black Iberian pigs are commonly found in the south and southwestern regions of Spain which include the provinces of Salamanca, Ciudad real, Huelva, Cordoba, and Caceres. When they are found in Portugal, they are called porco de raca alentejana.

The piglets are fattened with barley and corn immediately after weaning and they are given the best treatment. They are not penned and they roam around the pastures and oak groves for a few weeks so that they can eat to their heart's content the surrounding grasses, roots, acorns, and herbs. They are given this time of indulgence and freedom until they are brought to the slaughter.

Before they are going to be slaughtered, they feed on a purely acorn diet which gives them the right to be properly named Jamon Iberico de Bellota. Those who are not included in this exclusive brand are considered to be of low quality and are fed on a mixed diet of commercial feed and acorns.

Diet and exercise greatly impact the flavor of the cured meat. The curing process for ordinary cured ham would last for twelve months, while the Iberico The curing of bellota hams is longer. Salting is the first step in curing the ham. This step ensures that bacteria will not penetrate the ham and this will last for a few weeks so that the salt will thoroughly penetrate the entire meat. They are hung in a factory with open windows so that the cool air will circulate around the hams and eventually dry them.

The thick amount of fat that surrounds the meat makes the curing process last very long because it is necessary. Due to their antioxidant rich diet of acorns, the Iberico bellota hams take a longer time to cure than the ordinary Iberian ham. During the very long curing period, almost fifty percent of their fats are gone. The curing cycle is takes place with the changes in seasons because the periods of cold and warmth are essential in curing the meat.

The few more additional weeks that follow the curing process are to allow the ham to sweat and this is also the time when many chemical changes happen to the meat. The meat will eventually dry later and will also start to cool down when winter gets nearer. These heating, cooling, drying, and warming cycles are repeated a few times to build up the complex layers of flavors that is unique to the bellota ham.

All of these curing processes results to the finest Iberian Ham. The unique curing process produces the incredible chemical transformations to the meat.

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