100% Ibérico Acorn-fed Ham Free Range | Jamon Ibérico de Bellota by Fermin
What you're actually buying
| Approximate weight | 17–20 lb, bone-in |
| Servings of 1 oz | about 139 |
| Cost per serving | about $8.60 |
Servings are an estimate based on typical edible yield once bone, rind and outer fat are removed.
Acorn-fed 100% Ibérico ham, cured 48 months | Jamón de Bellota 100% Ibérico, also known as Pata Negra
Made from 100% Ibérico pigs fed on acorns through the montanera season and cured for four years. This is the king of Ibérico ham, chosen from pure-bred Iberian animals that roam freely and roughly double in size on a diet of acorns. Approximate weight 17–20 lb.
Ibérico ham comes from a singular breed of pig in a unique ecosystem — the dehesa grasslands — and a cool, dry climate that allows curing in optimal temperature and humidity. Its artisanal curing process has been preserved since its inception.
From a single ham you can identify up to seven different flavours depending on the zone where it is cut: a multitude of hues, aromas and scents in one piece.
We selected Fermín Embutidos, based in La Alberca, Salamanca, one of the best Ibérico producers available in the US, with a tradition dating back to 1956. Fermín won the Gold SOFI Award for Best Meat Product in 2011.
All natural: free of nitrites and nitrates.
How to know it's the real thing
Spanish law (Real Decreto 4/2014) requires every Ibérico leg to carry a coloured seal on the hoof declaring breed and feed. Four colours, no ambiguity:
- Black — bellota 100% ibérico: pure Iberian breed, acorn-fed, free-range
- Red — bellota ibérico: crossed breed, acorn-fed, free-range
- Green — cebo de campo: free-range, fed on grass and grain
- White — cebo: grain-fed, raised indoors
This piece carries the black seal, the highest of the four grades. The seal stays on the leg — check it yourself before the first cut.
