IBERIC HAM / PATA NEGRA

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Iberian pigs are a breed of animal origin Mediterranean that make up one of the very few examples of domesticated pigs adapted to the grazing regime, especially qualified to take advantage directly, resources of the vast pastures of holm oaks and cork oaks. The qualities of this primitive breed include its ability to accumulate fat under the skin or infiltrate this in your muscles, this enables products from Iberian pigs have white streaks that make him so special.

The term "pata negra" is a term that has been used to designate the Iberian hams. The designation of "pata negra" is because the color of the leg of the animal was associated with the animal dark. 

Iberian ham should not eat is fresh out of the cellar. It is necessary and something essential that it is tempered for a couple of days or more, up to approximately a temperature close to the 23, 25 ° C. To cut it you must wait until the last moment.

It is very common to find in these parts, some dotted with tiny white spots between the lean meat, that are not harmful at all. It is thyroxine crystals produced by a degradation of proteins and which denotes that the ham is of quality and its correct aging. If you were to consume in one day, was removed throughout the cortex and outer Bacon peeling the ham. Otherwise it will cleanse and outline as you are cutting.

 The slices should be small, as fine as possible. Regardless of the time that it takes to consume, the ham has always have clean, profiling, edge thus avoiding unnecessary barks or rancid flavors. If you stop cutting, is necessary to protect the area with some of the pieces more thicknesses of bacon and bark, taken at the beginning, so that the surface fat is kept fresh, and cover it with a cotton cloth.

Classification of the types of hams (click here)