Jamón Ibérico Style Black Foot Ham
Jamón Ibérico is considered one of the world's finest hams and traditionally comes from the Black Iberian pig. Through natural acorn feeding and years of aging it develops a unique, complex flavor profile with nutty and floral notes. The characteristic fat marbling provides incomparable juiciness.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Embedding in Salt
10–12 daysCover the leg with herbs and completely embed it in sea salt. Store at 0–4 °C and 85–90% humidity. Check the salt layer daily and add salt to any bare patches.
Post-Salado – Equalization
60 daysWash off salt and herbs under cold water, pat the leg dry and store hanging at 3–6 °C. The salt diffuses evenly into the interior of the meat.
Secadero – Primary Drying
12 monthsHang in a well-ventilated room at slowly rising temperatures of 8–22 °C. Open windows on cool nights and close them during the day. The ham loses 30–35% of its original weight here.
Bodega – Deep Aging
12–36 monthsIn the dark cellar at a constant 15–20 °C and 60–70% humidity, the enzymatic deep aging takes place. The ham is ready when the Calador test (needle test with bone needle) yields a pure, intense aroma without off-notes.
Pro Tip
For an authentic approximation of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, I recommend feeding the pig acorns and grass before slaughter (Montanera phase). This fundamentally changes the fatty acid composition and makes the product incomparable.
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