Spanish Ham from Huelva
Ibérico Products from Jabugo (Huelva) available at IberGour
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Huelva is the westernmost province of Andalusia (Spain). It was from Huelva's capital city that the 3 caravelles commanded by Christopher Columbus set forth to discover the New World. This circumstance is celebrated each year in a multitude of festivities, such as the "Fiestas Colombinas", the Iberoamerican Festival of "La Rábida" or the Iberoamerican Cinema Festival, among others.
Despite its bustling commercial activity, Huelva has some of the most important nature preserves on the Iberian peninsula, such as the National Park of Doñana, declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1980, and the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Nature Park, which boasts a wide range of Mediterranean vegetation including holm oaks, cork oaks, gall oaks and chestnut trees.
It is in fact in the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche that the ham production area controlled by the Producers' Association of the P.D.O. (protected designation of origin) Jamón de Huelva is located. The Association's central offices are in Aracena.
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Growing and Production Areas
Iberian breed pigs come from different "dehesas" in Andalusia (Cordoba, Huelva, Seville, Cadiz and Málaga) and Extremadura (Caceres and Badajoz), but the ham curing and maturation process is only performed in 31 municipalities of the La Sierra county, of which Jabugo is the most notable.
It is important to point out that Jabugo Ham, one of the most famous in the world, does not have its own Designation of Origin. "Jamón de Jabugo" is not an official name, and refers only to the village where the hams are produced. In other words, hams that have been certified by the Producers' Association will bear the band of the P.D.O. Jamón de Huelva, to which the municipality of Jabugo belongs.
Characteristics of the Jamón de Huelva Designation of Origin
To be included under this Designation for the production of hind leg and shoulder hams pigs must be pure Iberian breed or a cross of 75% Iberian breed and 25% Duroc-Jersey breed.
For animals that eat a diet only of acorns and natural grasses during the finishing period (montanera) there can be no more than 1 pig per hectare, whereas for animals having a diet of natural forage supplemented with commercial feed during the finishing period a maximum of 10 pigs is allowed per hectare, with a minimum distance between water points and feeders of 100 metres.
Three grades of ham have been established on the basis of the pigs' diet before slaughter:
- "Bellota" quality Iberico ham: pigs begin the "montanera" (finishing period) with an entry weight of between 85 and 115 Kg., and replace at least 50% of their entry weight on a diet of acorns and grasses. These hams are identified with an unbreakable red seal and a band of the same colour, which also indicate the year of production.
- "Recebo" Iberico ham: during the "montanera" pigs replace at least 30% of their entry weight (average entry weight is 85 to 115 Kg) with a diet of acorns and grasses, and the finishing period is completed with authorized feeds (basically grains and legumes) and grasses. They are identified with a numbered, unbreakable blue seal and a band of the same colour.
- Free range "Cebo" Iberico ham: during the finishing period (at a weight of between 85 and 115 Kg) pigs are allowed to roam freely within the dehesa, and are fed authorized feeds (grains, legumes, oilseed plants) and grasses. Hams are identified with a numbered, unbreakable yellow seal and a band of the same colour.
Pigs must be slaughtered in the locality where they are produced; i.e., in one of the 31 municipalities of the Sierra de Huelva, from which they must not be removed until the minimum maturation period has been completed.
The natural drying process takes place in drying rooms located on the upper floor of meat production buildings, and maturation, in the bodegas found on the ground floor, or in the cellar, of those buildings. In both cases the microclimate conditions of the Sierra de Huelva are an essential part of the process, since both the drying room and bodega are ventilated naturally, and artificial changes in temperature and humidity are prohibited.
The minimum production time for hams under these conditions, as stipulated by the Producers' Association, varies according to weight and grade, but for hind leg cuts it must be over 18 months, and for shoulder cuts, over 12 months.
Huelva hams...
The characteristics of the hind leg and shoulder hams of the Jamón de Huelva Designation of Origin are:
- The leg is long and slender, and the hoof is black. The outer side presents the typical "V-shaped" Serrano cut, and is covered with a thick layer of glossy fat. The inner side shows signs of fungal growth of a white or bluish gray colour, an unmistakable sign of its slow maturation in the bodega.
- Weight: Not less than 4.5 Kg. for hind leg cuts, or 3.5 Kg. for shoulder cuts.
- Appearance of sliced meat: Lustrous. Anything from rosy to purplish red, depending on the degree of maturation.
- Consistency: The flesh should not be fibrous. It should be marbled with fat and have a silken texture; it should tear easily.
- Flavour: Fragrant and delectable, with a delicate aroma. There should be only the faintest hint of saltiness.
The deep red colour that appears when the ham is cut is due to the fact that these are free range animals of a relatively advanced age (18 months). Infiltration of the muscle fibres by fat is responsible for the characteristic marbling of Iberian pork products that gives them a soft succulence. The infiltrated fat is highly lustrous because of its low fusion point, essentially due to the acorn-based diet. The hams' aroma and intense, persistent flavour are the result of their prolonged maturation period. Another feature of Huelva hams is their low salt content, since the optimum climatological conditions of the region mean less salting time is required here than in other areas.
Bodega maturation time according to weight, grade and type
| Cut weight of the ham at the slaughterhouse | Minimum bodega maturation time | Anticipated final weight after bodega maturation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hind leg | 7 to 8 Kg. | 7 to 9 months | 4.5 to 5 Kg. |
| 8 to 11 Kg. | 9 to 12 months | 5 to 7.5 Kg. | |
| above 11 Kg. | 16 months | above 7.5 Kg. | |
| Shoulder | 4 to 5 kg. | 5 months | 3.5 to 4 Kg. |
| above 5 Kg. | 6 months | above 4 Kg. |
Source: Order of July 12, 1995, ratifying the regulation of the Designation of Origin and its Producers' Association for Huelva Ham(spanish).
Some figures...
In 1996 the first year's production of hams regulated by the P.D.O. Jamón de Huelva went on sale: a total of 3,842 hind leg and shoulder cuts. The record was achieved in 2003, with 142,517 hams, but D.O. certified production has gradually decreased since then. Production in 2006 is expected to be under 60,000 hams.
Other facts (2005):
- Iberian pigs subjected to D.O. regulations: 21,480 (81% bellota, 13% recebo, 6% cebo)
- "Bellota" grade hams (hind leg and shoulders) in bodegas: 74,137 (95% of the total)
- Bodegas: 30
- Secaderos: 32
- Pig farms: 146
- Slaughterhouses and cutting premises: 15
See also
Iberico 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
