
Iberian ham types
Iberian ham is considered the best ham for its excellent gastronomic properties. These hams come from pigs with at least 50% of iberian breed, which provides excellent grease intertwined, flavor, aroma and texture.
This type of ham, coming from iberian pigs, have a more stylized cane, are usually smaller and have a higher percentage of fat interspersed, since their characteristics allow a greater infiltration of it.
Although for most consumers 100% iberian ham is of a higher quality, the different types of breed they cross bring different organoleptic nuances, shapes and sizes opening a large range of classes of iberian hams for consumers, although In most cases they will ignore these very specific characteristics. As a general rule, most iberian pig crosses are made with Duroc Jersey pigs as a complementary breed which provides very good organoleptic characteristics to Iberian hams, benefits pig fattening and increases the number of offspring the mothers.
According to the latest classification established in Royal Decree 4/2014, of January 10, approving the quality standard for meat, ham, trowel and iberian loin, we can distinguish the following types of spanish iberian hams:
In addition to the factors indicated, it is necessary to take into account the weight of the ham and the price thereof.
- Ham weight: The weight of the pure Iberian hams is usually around 7 kg. This is because these Iberian pigs have a smaller bone structure to be of smaller size, being difficult to get over 8kg. In their hams.
- Prices of ham: 100% Iberian acorn hams need a very long preparation period for its adequate cure and can be put up for sale at the optimum time for consumption. These hams have a process of elaboration of about 5 years of average from the birth of the pigs until their sale. If we also increase their cost by having a breeding in freedom and feeding in montanera with daily exercise that causes them to take longer to take weight and need more food, causes that the prices of hams must respect a minimum prices to cover the costs of the process Of elaboration that all the manufacturers must respect not to incur losses.