The controversial Iberian ham law was passed a few years ago. The aim of this law was to help consumers know what they were buying when they decided to consume Iberian hams or shoulders.
As we have already told you, the passing of time and the free interpretation of the standard have caused that not all products labelled according to their breed have the expected quality . Unfortunately, expectations often play a trick on us and we end up eating something of a much lower quality than expected. To avoid this happening to you, in addition to buying at Don Ibérico , pay attention:
Two major categories
When establishing criteria to differentiate some animals from others, we can do so in two large groups:
- By diet: without a doubt, this is the most important factor. The food that the pig receives during its life will determine its taste, smell, texture and final quality. The greater the quantity of acorns, the higher the quality of the meat . Depending on the diet, they are divided into: acorn-fed, Iberian field-fed and fattened.
- By breed : depending on the breed of pig and its purity, the hams and shoulders of this animal are divided into four groups. But be careful, although the breed has an influence, it is not what determines the flavour.
The four precincts
- Black seal : 100% Iberian acorn-fed. Guarantees that the father and mother are 100% Iberian and that the animal has been fed during its fattening stage with acorns and other natural resources from the pasture.
- Red label : 75-50% Iberian acorn-fed. Identifies products from pigs whose mother is 100% Iberian (registered in the family tree) and whose father is 50-75% Iberian. It ensures that the animal has been fed with acorns and other resources available in the pasture during the montanera.
- Green label : for Iberian free-range pigs. It distinguishes animals of 50-75% or 100% Iberian breed that have been fed with acorns and feed in the countryside.
- White label : Iberian cebo. It identifies the animals that are 100-75 or 50% Iberian and that have been fed with feed on farms. At Don Ibérico we are committed to sustainability and naturalness, which is why we do not sell this product.
Other features
As we know that often it is not enough to just look at the seal of a piece to be able to choose according to our tastes, here are some characteristics so that you do not make a mistake in your purchase:
- Fat infiltration : Hams and shoulders with a red seal (75% or 50% Iberian breed) will always have more fat infiltration due to the morphology of the animal itself. This translates into a fat that is more distributed within the fat than in 100% Iberian ham.
- Yield : directly related to fat infiltration, we find the yield of the ham. The higher the percentage of Iberian breed, the lower the yield (fewer ham dishes).
- Intensity: If you are looking for a purer and more intense flavour, you should opt for the black seal, which guarantees a strong and penetrating flavour that will not leave you indifferent.
In short, there are all kinds of seals (or was it colors?) and if you want to make no mistake and ensure the best quality, the best price and personalized attention, you know where to find us.
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2 comments
Paco
Muy bien explicado,, muy ilustrativo, muy tentador y difícil a la hora de decidir, en una familia de pocos miembros entre el presunto rojo o negro, cuál sería el que aconseja?
Muy bien explicado,, muy ilustrativo, muy tentador y difícil a la hora de decidir, en una familia de pocos miembros entre el presunto rojo o negro, cuál sería el que aconseja?
Javier
Muy interesante el artículo, me ha ayudado muchisimo, sobre todo la parte final donde habla del punto de vista de Don Ibérico
Muy interesante el artículo, me ha ayudado muchisimo, sobre todo la parte final donde habla del punto de vista de Don Ibérico