I found myself really wanting to buy a Jamon this year for the first time. A friend from Spain bought one last year, Iberico but I was uncertain as to producer or jamon vs. paleta as I only tried the cut meat later from vacuum sealed bag, and they did not remember the specifics. So, as I am wont to do with this kind of thing, I obsessively researched it and slowly talked myself up from buying something simple, maybe a Serrano paleta, to convincing myself that what I really needed was an Iberico Jamon Bellota, despite really having no need for such a huge amount of meat. In the end I found what seems to be an excellent price of $410 delivered for a Montaraz 100% Iberico Cebo de Campo free range Jamon. This does not come with jamonera or knife, so those will be purchased separately. It seems an insane amount of meat but then we do really like Iberico.
So, for those who have bought before, will I regret purchasing such a large quantity? Will I regret not getting Bellota, perhaps the smaller shoulder, and instead āsettlingā for Cebo de Campo, even from what appears to be a very good producer? In the end I suspect it will be a lot of fun and we will simply vacuum pack bags of cut slices if it is too much. Our friends did that and it was excellent some 7-8 months after having been sealed.
Also, any recommendations on specific jamonera or knife to buy?
It sounds like a great price on the Iberico. I think the only regret that you are likely to have is related to counter space that this will consume for the several months that you are likely to be nipping away at the leg.
The folding aspect of this is brilliant. There are a royal pain to store in every other instance. This unit also seems to hit an appropriate QPR. I donāt recommend the standard less expensive unit that everyone else sells for $40-$60. It functions but does not look great - even when new and is painful to store (see above). It makes sense to step up a few dollars on this but I canāt imagine spending over $100 given the limited use.
Thanks Eric. It seemed like a really good price for the Iberico. Other retailers seem to have it at about $700. Ordered Tuesday night and scheduled to arrive tomorrow so delivery was very quick as well, assuming all goes well on that front. The counter space is definitely an issue, as I have a dog who, if this was left on many of my surfaces, would surely help himself eventually. As a result, Iāll likely have to move it to a closed off area or park it somewhere high up when not in use.
I would rather get a paleta of the bellota over the de campo. Iāve had de campo side by side with bellota, and I notice a distinct difference in texture. Bellota melts in your mouth and de campo, while still delicious, does not quite.
If the cost is prohibitive, try Costco. My friend got a leg of their jamon Iberico de bellota this year and it was as good as most.
As for jamoneras, look for one with a swiveling attachment where you insert the hoof end. Not critical, but it does make positioning the ham a little easier.
Thanks for the advice Betty, but I had already purchased the Jamon. I think the quality is very good. The cure is a bit intense resulting in a dryer texture than Iād anticipated if also with intensely concentrated flavor. In reading about producers it seems Montaraz has a reputation for a harder cure than some. In fairness though, Iāve only cut from the smaller (babilla?) side thus far, and even there Iām noticing a better texture as we move beyond the outer layer and further into the meat. I will report back as we progress to other parts of the jamon.
In researching before buying, Iād hoped that buying from a well-respected producer would mitigate the differences between the bellota and campo. Montaraz described their cebo as both 100% Iberico and āfree range,ā though how that would differ from bellota I donāt know. Probably a legal term which does mean exactly what it sounds like, just as the chickens which produce ācage freeā eggs arenāt necessarily roaming around a farmyard living their best lives but are in truth only slightly less confined.
I purchased the folding jamonera linked above and it worked perfectly well. Stable and sturdy, positioning was no problem. Have not yet purchased a knife. Thus far Iāve been using a particularly thin and sharp Japanese gyuto which has worked very well. I will likely still buy a more flexible jamon knife but didnāt want to wait.
I like Montaraz a lot, more than Fermin and Cinco Jotas. I also noticed that they have a consistently dryer cure so itās a little harder to slice. The flavor makes up for it and itās hard to go wrong when you have a high-quality producer.
If memory serves, de Cebo is raised on conventional feed and finished on acorns. De Bellota is a (mostly) pasture diet, finished on acorns, though the farm I visited in Spain said they have to supplement the feed when the hot season leaves the dehesa a bit barren.
The knife is helpful but not critical. I think the length enables the pro cutters to cut each slice in one fluid stroke, but I havenāt unlocked that level of skill yet!
