Cinco Jotas Bone-in 100% Ibérico de Bellota Shoulder - 8-11 lb
What you're actually buying
| Approximate weight | 8–11 lb, bone-in |
| Servings of 1 oz | about 58 |
| Cost per serving | about $11.40 |
A shoulder carries proportionally more bone than a leg, so it yields fewer servings — but costs far less up front.
Cinco Jotas Ibérico shoulder, whole and bone-in, 8–11 lb | 100% Ibérico
We carry two kinds of bone-in piece: the front leg, called the shoulder or paleta, and the traditional back leg, called simply the jamón.
The paleta is the smaller of the two — moist, thick and soft in the middle, exceptionally aromatic and intense, and shot through with intramuscular fat. Its anatomy makes for easier carving and larger slices. Same Cinco Jotas quality as the back leg, at a noticeably lower price, which is what makes it the best value entry into a whole piece.
How to know it's the real thing
Spanish law (Real Decreto 4/2014) requires every Ibérico piece to carry a coloured seal 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 piece — check it yourself before the first cut.
