What Iberico ham to buy? The truth is that the question thus posed, without conditions that influence us in the decision, almost seems like a “truism” and has a very easy and immediate answer. “The best 100% pure acorn-fed Iberian ham” that you can get. But unfortunately, the usual thing is that there are always conditions and these usually have an important weight when determining our choice. There is a great variety of Ibericos hams, for this reason it is so important to know which Iberico ham to buy depending on when you are going to consume it.
What Iberico ham to buy to close a business? Without a doubt, the pata negra ham
Giving away an acorn-fed black leg ham is common. It is a gift that says it all, whether for a party or to have a detail for Christmas. When it comes to business, the situation is somewhat different. If you are thinking about which Iberico ham to buy to close a business, keep in mind that the better the ham, the better the impression they will have of you. Pata Negra ham is the best ham in the world, it is undoubtedly a declaration of intent and will facilitate a rapprochement between both parties. Buying the most expensive ham in the world can pay off.
Classification of Iberico ham:
The first thing should perhaps be to explain a little what are the different names and classifications of Iberico ham and their differences, so that when we refer to one type or another later, that reference and its differences are very clear.
The first question that we have to take into account is the purity percentage of the pork origin of that ham.
The first type considered is the 100% pure Iberian pig, which is very scarce and the current census of these animals places their number below two hundred thousand specimens.
The second type considered is the crossing of the pure Iberian pig with other breeds, usually the Duroc, which comes from the United States and which originally came from crosses with the Iberian pig breed. The usual thing is to cross males of this breed with females of the Iberian breed. If a 100% pure female is crossed with a 50% pure male it is considered a 75% purity and if the cross is with a male of another breed, or of female and male of 50% purity each, it is considered a purity of the resulting pig of 50%, which is the minimum allowed by the designation of origin.
On the other hand, and with an importance when determining quality, is food.
If the animal is raised in montanera based on acorns and wild grass, it is considered or called acorn-fed Iberian pig, if it is only fed in montanera for a minimum period of 60 days and the rest of the diet is feed and has a wide space of movement, it is considered or called Iberian field bait, and if it has been raised exclusively with feed, it is considered or called Iberian bait.
From the joint consideration of breed and diet, the definitive classification and labeling arises. These are the different types of Iberian ham that you can buy:
Black label: It is the one that corresponds to a 100% Iberian pig that has been raised entirely in montanera with a diet based on acorns and wild feed. It is called pure acorn ham or black leg ham.
Red label: It is the one that corresponds to an Iberian pig with a purity of less than 100% and greater than 50% that has been raised in montanera and with a diet based on acorns and wild grass. It is an acorn-fed ham or acorn-fed Iberian ham.
Green label: It is the one that corresponds to a pig that has been raised with feed but also with a minimum of 60 days in a montanera based on acorn and wild feed. Iberian field bait ham or top dressing ham
White label: It is the one that corresponds to an Iberian pig that has been raised entirely with feed. It is the Iberian ham of cebo or ham of cebo.
Actually, these labels do not correspond to the pig but to the products obtained from it, hams, shoulders and loins.
Determining factors when choosing which Iberian ham to buy
First conditioning factor: The price of Iberian ham
I do not discover anything new if I say that higher quality usually responds to a higher price, although on the contrary, it is not always the case, that is, because a ham is more expensive than another it does not have to be better. Price is undoubtedly one of the main factors when choosing which Iberico ham to buy. From time to time there are good offers of Iberian ham to get. Here you can find cheap Iberian hams.
What is a fixed rule is that an acorn-fed Iberico ham is more expensive than a field-fed or ground-fed Iberian ham.
The price per kg of whole pieces from 7 to 7.5 kg of 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham is usually around € 60, which places the price of a whole ham above € 400.
The price of acorn-fed Iberico ham with 75% -50% purity is somewhat lower, although the difference is not very important.
As for Iberian bait hams, their price fluctuates much more, also because their offer is greater and you can get bait hams of an acceptable quality for € 20 – 25 kg. in whole pieces.
Second conditioner: Quality
Why is this so? What is it about acorn-fed Iberian ham that makes it better than bait, even if they are pigs that are similar in origin? Well the answer is simple: The acorn.
The acorn provides the pig and consequently the products derived from it, a finer fat with better properties, with low cholesterol, similar to the properties of olive oil, as well as a special and better flavor. Therefore, the greater the part of the diet corresponding to this product, the better its quality and the more appreciated.
But also their type of free rearing, with much more exercise and movement, have an effect on the pig, on the formation and characteristics of its muscles.
The breed percentage is also very important, since the Iberian pig breed has more fat infiltrated into the muscle, by way of a fine grain, which gives it a special texture and flavor. If you are looking for a good Iberico ham to buy, take into account our catalog.
Third conditioner: The occasion in which it is going to be consumed
When determining which Iberico ham to buy, it is important to determine when we are going to eat it. This conditioning factor can be, and is in fact, highly variable. The intention that we have to look especially good in an event. The purchasing power we have and the availability of funds for that event.
The opportunity that may arise to take advantage of a bargain, always with due care so as not to be scammed.
Even the number of people who are going to participate in the tasting of this extraordinary of this Iberian pork ham, which can determine the quality to choose, the size of the whole ham leg, larger or smaller, and even if a ham is bought from whole leg or ham filleted, preferably with a knife, and vacuum packed.
What we can be sure of is that it is the acorn-fed Iberico ham, or another Iberian ham from field bait or simply bait, we are always facing a product of extraordinary quality, which until very recently was a great unknown outside the field of Hispanic customs, and that it is, without a doubt, among the elite of the delicacies and best products that can be tasted and therefore we should not miss the opportunity to do so whenever we can.
What is the best ham holder to cut Iberico ham?
The ham holder where the Iberico ham is to be cut is a fundamental kitchen utensil and as such has to be well selected. First of all, you have to ask yourself how much Iberian ham you usually consume. Do you usually have acorn ham always at home? Do you want to buy it because they just gave you a pata negra ham? If you are going to use it a lot, it is worth allocating a larger budget to the purchase, on the other hand, if you are going to save it when you finish this Iberian bait ham, it may be worth buying a folding ham holder.
The price difference between buying a good ham holder or a bad one is not very great. One of the most important factors is that it is a rotating ham holder. This aspect is essential for us, since it will greatly facilitate the cutting of ham. It does not have to be a designer ham holder or a handmade one, the important thing is that it be functional.
