Don Harris of tienda.com
writes about:
JAMON AND CHORIZO
The Challenge of Jamon Iberico
Our greatest challenge has been pork products. The finest is jamón
Iberico, "pata negra" (black hoof) a ham that comes from a
300-year-old strain of lean pigs who live in Extremadura. The most
famous kind is Jabugo.
My wife Ruth and I travelled to the remote town of Jabugo in
Extremadura to see what we could find for our Tienda friends. Our
gracious hosts, the people at Sanchez Romero Carvaja, explained to us
that jabugo, (pata negra, or Iberian jamón) has never been imported
into the USA for two reasons.
First, there is a very limited number of Iberian pigs, and an even
smaller number of pigs in Jabugo. The manufacturers cannot keep up with
the demand in Spain and Europe. You see, the pigs dine exclusively on
the acorns of a special cork tree -- so it is not a matter of growing
more pigs, it is also a matter of growing more cork orchards! Because
Spaniards respect their quality of life, they are not willing to
compromise their life to make such a huge effort.
Jamon Serrano
Second, even if there were enough jabugo, it is so costly even in
Spain ($300 each) that by the time they get to the USA the cost would be
prohibitive ($500) and the market for them therefore would be very
small.
As an alternative to jamón iberico we chose Jamón Serrano, a country
ham cured under the same circumstances as the Iberico. It is a "pata
blanca" white hoofed pig of a different strain.
If you buy a well cured jamón serrano (ours are over a year) it has
some of the same deep flavor as the Iberico. We encouraged producers of
jamón serrano to enter the American market. As a result Tienda.com
offers the only two jamón serranos available in the USA. We were the
first to offer Navidul jamón serrano, and also were the first to carry
an artisan quality (Redondo Iglesias). We also carry the only imported
chorizo (Palacios).
Difficulties in Importing
Why is it so difficult to import Spanish products? The US Department
of Agriculture is very concerned that swine fever, which a few years ago
was present in Italy and Spain, will not be transmitted to the USA. For
this reason they have set stringent conditions for its importation. It
is an extremely cautious approach, but the arrival of swine fever into
the USA would be devastating to the multi billion-dollar pork business.
The jamones bound for the USA have to be prepared in highly sanitary
conditions
and are not mixed with jamones going to Spain or other parts of Europe.
The jamones are individually numbered with their origin written down. No
partial pieces of the jamones are allowed into the US because it would
be harder to track their source, should there be any difficulty. This
added expense is why only two companies have chosen to reconfigure their
factories.
Which jamón is the one for you? The secret is in the Ham Master who
selects the jamones, and the length of cure. Navidul is the largest
producer in Spain and produces a very good product. The hams of Redondo
Iglesias, because it is a small family company, are individually
selected by their Maestro de Jamón and are cured for upwards of 18
months or more. Their jamones will approach the flavor of Iberico -- it
won't be identical, of course. But it is excellent in its own right.
Practical Ordering and Storing Advice
If you are a purist we can provide you with the traditional jamón
with the bone in from Redondo Iglesias. You can mount it on a jamonera
(ham stand), and serve paper-thin pieces of ham, preferably sliced with
a long carving knife (jamonero). You do not need to refrigerate it.
If you are a small family it might be smarter to get the boneless (Navidul
or Redondo). After you remove the vacuum packing, you can store it for
many weeks in the refrigerator, slicing it as you need it. And later, if
you are "hammed out" you can freeze a chunk of it. It will be
good -- particularly for cooking.
Our imported chorizo form Palacios is an all-natural product
containing nothing but meat, garlic, and smoked paprika. It tastes just
like Spain – but you need to refrigerate it too.
I am sure I have provided you with more information that you may
need! But I wanted you to understand the ins and outs of the national
treasure of our beloved Spain.
- Don Harris, Tienda.com, August 8, 00
