A Rare Ham
April 30, 2008
New Jerseyans who know their ham have been getting some mighty fine slices at Bon Appetit Fine Foods (www.bonappetitfinefoods.com) in Princeton since earlier this year, when the USDA finally approved import of the legendary Ibérico ham from Spain.
“They come here every weekend — Spanish, Italians, French, Belgians,” says Lorena Fister, a manager at Bon Appetit. “They probably know it’s an exclusive for us.”
Exclusive in New Jersey, according to the company that imports these ham legs. And legs they are. Bon Appetit displays them hoof and all; co-owner Michel Lemmerling hand-cuts slices for customers. “Americans find it different, but they are interested,” he says.
Ibérico ham is made in very small quantities from free roaming pigs in the dehesa oak forests of southwestern Spain. By law the pigs must be of the rare pata negra, or black hoof breed, left outside to feed on the natural vegetation of the region. The bone-in hams are lightly salted and hung to dry-cure for as long as four years.
A special category is jamón ibérico de bellota, made from pigs that for three months prior to slaughter feed exclusively on acorns (“bellotas”) from the local oaks. As a result of the diet as well as the exercise the pigs get on the range, the ham is marbled with a natural fat (good-cholesterol fat, too, like that in olive oil) that makes a slice almost melt in the mouth.
It’s highly sought after. “The taste is kind of unique. It is not salty and not too sweet, but it’s got a little bite to it,” Lemmerling says.
Prosciutto di Parma, better known and more easily found in New Jersey’s fine food stores is softer and sweeter, according to Lemmerling. Ibérico (and even more so, Ibérico de bellota) “has a more pronounced taste, but without being sharp or overwhelming.”
Ibérico is not cheap, and Ibérico de bellota is even more expensive. At press time, Bon Appetit was selling the latter for $49.95 a half pound. True fanatics who know the proper technique for slicing and storage can order a whole leg, bone-in and hoof-in. About $800.
A less expensive alternative ($18.95 per pound) is Serrano ham. It’s from Spain too, and cured with similar techniques. But the pigs are not free range, acorn-eating patas negras. Serrano is drier and saltier than Ibérico or prosciutto.
Still great ham, though. And if you can’t get to Princeton, you can order Serrano or Ibérico from www.tienda.com.
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