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Jamon Iberico de Bellota

27th February 2017

Picture of the court of a typical Jamon Iberico ham from Spain

Top view of jabugo ham slices, closeup view

Salamanca jamon iberico iberian ham of Spain

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Jamon Iberico is a cured ham produced in Spain and Portugal and is subject to the same quality appellation system as wine, known as Denominación de Origen.

Unlike the more common Jamon Serrano, which is produced from white pigs, Jamon Iberico is only produced from the black Iberian pig which has been native to Southern Spain for centuries. The highest category of Jamon Iberico is the Jamon Iberico puro de Bellota. This delicious ham, which is regarded as the No 1 cured ham in the world, is unique in that the pigs feed solely on acorns from the oak and cork trees in the  Dehesa ( Forest pastures ). The pigs are fattened over one or two winters, with each pig consuming about 10kilos of acorns per day. The acorns are rich in oleic oil which is very high in monounsaturates and this oil is essential both in the long curing process and in the resulting healthy fat that is a feature of this exquisite product.

When the pigs have reached the necessary weight the next stage is the matanza  ( sacrifice ). This has traditionally been a family affair, where chorizos, salchichon and morcilla sausages are made at the time, the tender meat cuts  are prepared for family or sold to restaurants while the fatty leg is wrapped in sea salt and hung to dry in the cool winter air. This process is still followed in many towns as it has been for centuries. Family owned factories have now sprung up where the  drying is done on a  large scale, with the hams exposed to the mountain air. Normal Iberico hams are cured for about 2 years, while the Bellota hams are cured for even longer.

One of the outstanding locations for the production of Jamon Iberico is the area surrounding the town of Jabugo in the Sierra de Aracena in Hueva. Here the micro climate in the hills is ideal for the oak trees which produce the acorns on which the pigs feed .At the Sanchez Romero Carvajal ham –producing company which dates back to 1879, up to 100,000 pigs are slaughtered annually and in the massive curing cellars up to 40,000 hams are hanging at any one time. They explain the secret of their success in simple terms, all that is required to cure quality Jabugo hams is sea salt and mountain air.

Dont forget to ask for Jamon Iberico de Bellota when next in Spain.

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by Peter
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Inspiration, Lifestyle, Travel

What makes an authentic paella ?

6th November 2016

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver got himself in to hot water recently with his suggested paella recipe. The social media lit up with complaints from Spanish paella aficionados and restaurateurs, some of whom described his recipe as “an abomination ” and ” rice with stuff “. The main reason for the angry response was the inclusion of chorizo in the recipe, something which the experts say would never be included in an authentic paella.

The fervour with which one of Spain’s national dishes is guarded should not be underestimated. A new representative organization has recently been formed in Valencia called WIKIPAELLA which is dedicated to protecting the authenticity of the Paella Valenciana and which has given the seal of approval to 170 restaurants in the Valencia region, which follow the traditional methods and ingredients. They have identified the ten essential elements as chicken, rabbit, green beans ( ferradura), white beans ( garrofón), tomato, saffron, extra virgin olive oil, rice ( short grain, preferably bomba ), salt and water.

Absolutely not included are chorizo, onions, garlic, peas, potatoes ,stock, fish or shellfish. The latter form part of a seafood rice dish, but should never be mixed with meats. The other absolute is no stirring. Unlike risotto dishes, which are stirred continuously in order to achieve a creamy texture, paella rice is not stirred and is allowed to stick to the pan. In fact, the dark crusty pieces that are scraped from the pan are called “socarrat ” and are highly valued and known as Valencian caviar.

Traditionally, paellas were cooked over wood fires in the outdoors, but nowadays gas rings are acceptable. The wide and flat based paella pan allows for even absorption of the liquid and woks or other types of pan are not suitable. Paella is eaten straight from the pan and generally at lunchtime. If it is served as a portion for one, you can assume that it is not the real thing, but either frozen or reheated. For more information on this fascinating subject visit www.wikipaella.org

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by Peter
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Lifestyle

Irish tourists flock to Lanzarote

1st November 2016

Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands has become a mecca for sun seeking Irish tourists in recent years. The tiny island which measures 60 km by 40 km, has a permanent resident population of just over 143,000 people, but manages to attract over 2,100,000 visitors each year. Of these , the Irish make up about 145,000 and are the fourth largest of all nationalities in terms of visitor numbers.

Daily scheduled flights with Aer Lingus and Ryanair have made access more attractive, while the year round temperatures which average 23 degrees offer a welcome respite from the harsh Northern European winters.

The three principal resorts are Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca but tourists will also enjoy Timanfaya National Park with is stunning volcanic landscape, Fundacion Cesar Manrique, Rancho Texas, Jameos del Agua and Mirador del Rio.

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by Peter
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Lifestyle

Spain’s 10 month political stalemate ends with election of Rajoy

1st November 2016

For the past 10 months Spain has been without a government as two sets of elections have failed to produce a conclusive result. Finally the stalemate has been broken as Partido Popular leader Mariano Rajoy was elected Prime Minister on Saturday with a simple majority, due to the abstention of the PSOE delegates.

Rajoy will , therefore serve a second term of office, despite the growing unpopularity of his party due to corruption scandals and austerity measures. The PSOE ( Socialist Party ) has itself been embroiled in bitter and divisive policy disagreements and has seen its leader Pedro Sanchez ousted due to his refusal to allow delegates to abstain. The two newly emerging parties Podemos and Ciudadanos were ultimately unable to  agree on potential coalition partnerships with either of the two traditional parties and it now appears that the new government will have its work cut out in trying to introduce an overdue budget which is required to reduce the budget deficit , lower the unemployment rate of 19% and prop up the public pension fund.

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by Peter
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