Iberico Jamon Serrano Production in Spain
Ibérico Jamon Serrano at IberGour
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Iberian Pigs: The Breed
The Iberian pig has dark skin with a sparse coat, a pointed snout, and long, slender legs. The genetic trait of this breed is its ability to store fat in muscle tissue, the key to the unmistakeable flavour and texture of Iberian hams.
The Iberian hams of Dehesa de Extremadura are characteristically long and slender. The hoof is dark, and the flesh ranges in colour from rosy to purplish red. The texture is soft, with fat that is lustrous, fluid and soft to the touch.
Grazing and foraging in the pastureland of Extremadura
Here, pastures are in fact open woodlands of holm oaks and cork oaks, with an abundance of aromatic herbs such as rosemary and thyme. This traditional habitat of the Iberian pig is also the source of a rich, well-balanced diet that is essential to the organoleptic qualities of its meat.
The dehesa pastureland is one of the best preserved ecosystems in Europe, where livestock breeds (Iberian pigs, merino sheep, retinto) live side by side with wild species (deer, wild boars, rabbits, hares, wild cats, imperial eagles, black vultures, cranes, and lizards).
Iberian pigs consume a staple diet of acorns (the fruit of holm and cork oaks), supplemented by wild grasses and berries, and legumes. Actual consumption depends on the animal's weight, although 6 to 10 kg of acorns per animal/day is considered normal, in addition to about 3 kg of grass daily. Because the dehesa pasture ecosystem is limited in size, with no more than 50 holm oaks per hectare, production of Iberian pigs is limited to just over a million head of livestock.
Dry curing and Maturation
The adoption of new technologies and health requirements has led to improved ham quality, but the experience and know-how of ham experts, in a tradition passed down over the centuries from father to son, continues to be essential.
Preparation of hams is a 4-stage process:
- Salting and washing
- Resting period
- Drying and maturation
- Cellar phase (bodega)
Salting and washing. After pigs are slaughtered, hams are covered with sea salt for a week or ten days, depending on weight. Temperature of the room needs to be between 1º and 5º C, and relative humidity is usually kept around 80 or 90%. After this period the hams are washed in lukewarm water to remove salt crystals from the surface.
Resting period. Once washed, the hams are kept for 30 to 60 days in rooms at a temperature between 3º and 6º C and a relative humidity of 80 or 90%. During this period the salt penetrates the pieces uniformly, enhancing dehydration and conservation. This process gives hams a significantly denser consistency.
Drying and maturation. During this period hams are moved to a "secadero", or natural drying area, where temperature and humidity are controlled, essentially with ventilation mechanisms. Temperature ranges from 15º to 30º C for the 6 to 9 month drying period, during which hams continue to lose moisture, and "sweating" - dissemination of fat throughout the muscle fibres, which then retain the aroma they have acquired - also occurs. The final flavour and aromas begin to develop during this stage, due to a series of changes that occur in the protein and fat of these hams.
Bodega phase. Hams are hung in cellars, or bodegas, for at least 6 and up to a maximum of 30 months. Temperature may range between 10º and 20º C, and relative humidity, between 60 and 80%. During this phase, hams continue to undergo the biochemical processes initiated during the curing process, enhanced by microbial flora which give them their particular aroma and final flavour.
Quality Assurance
Labelling of the
D.O. Dehesa de Extremadura
(a diet exclusively of acorns and grasses during the finishing period)
premium quality
(a diet of acorns and grasses, supplemented with authorized feeds)
(a diet of authorized feeds)
The Producers' Association of the Dehesa de Extremadura Designation of Origin exercises stringent control over the entire production process.
The Producers' Association is responsible for identifying and branding pigs in their grazing areas, and overseeing their diet during the finishing period. It then monitors slaughter of the animals, and hind leg and shoulder hams are given an indelible, numbered tag, for supervision of the entire maturation process.
Other controls performed verify the saline concentration of brine, and ensure observation of minimum periods for drying, and aging in cellars.
Upon completion of this process, which takes at least 20 months for hind leg and 12 months for shoulder cuts, it is the Producers' Association which grades and labels these hams before they are shipped to consumers. Labelling (see picture at left) classifies hams into three categories, based on their quality:
Bellota grade: The pig enters the finishing period weighing 80-105 Kilos, and replaces about 60% of its entry weight on a diet of acorns and grasses.
Recebo grade: The animal replaces about 30% of its entry weight on a diet of acorns and grasses, the remainder of its diet being natural feed authorized by the Producers' Association.
Campo grade: The animal has a varied diet, including feeds authorized by the Producers' Association and herbage from the dehesa pastureland.
Labels may also refer to genetic characteristics of the animal, distinguishing between purebred Iberian Pigs and cross breeds (which are at least 75% Iberian bloodstock).
All of the farms and industries involved in the process of ham production are registered with the Producers' Association.
Growing and Production Areas
- Mountain ranges of the southwest of Badajoz
- Ibor and Villuercas
- Southern Gredos
- Sierra de Montánchez mountains
- Sierra de San Pedro mountains
Production of Iberian pork products is widespread throughout Extremadura, making this region the foremost producer in Spain. Here, almost a million hectares of dehesa rangeland are used for grazing by nearly 1500 livestock farms.
The principal production areas are the mountain range of southwestern Badajoz (1), Ibor and Villuercas (2), Southern Gredos (3), Sierra de Montánchez mountains (4) and Sierra de San Pedro mountains (5). It is in these areas that the majority of the hundred or so existing production enterprises are located.
Spain has four regions where D.O. (designation of origin) Ibérico hams are produced: Extremadura, Guijuelo (Salamanca), la Sierra de Huelva (where the town of Jabugo is located), and Los Pedroches (Córdoba). Teruel also produces its share of quality ham, although not from Iberian pigs but from "white pigs" whose parent stock, boars and sows, are purebred Durocs and Landrace-Large White crossbreeds, respectively.
More about Ibérico Spanish Ham
Jamon serrano slicing, serving and storage
- Serving
- How to slice a hind leg cut ("jamón")
- How to slice a shoulder cut ("paletilla")
- Sharpening a ham knife
- Storing your ham
- The best accompaniment & Recipes
More information...
- Health benefits of iberico de bellota serrano ham
- How to buy quality spanish jamon serrano on the Internet
- Iberico serrano ham FAQs
- A glossary of iberico serrano ham terms
See also
Ibérico de Bellota Ham in Spain
- Spanish Ham from Jabugo
- Spanish Ham from Extremadura
- Spanish Ham from Guijuelo
- Spanish Ham from Huelva
- Spanish Ham from Los Pedroches
