Pata Negra

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
1

Its time for me to break down and spring for a hind quarter of this stuff. Got a few questions for you guys.

  1. What online store is the best source

  2. Is cinco jotas (5Js) worth the extra tarrif

  3. Is there an iberico that is not 100% bellota that is equal in quality to Pata Negra

  4. Any other opinions would be appreciated.

2

I will watch this thread. I’d love a good connection for pata negra

3

I think I got some from La Tienda. Nola should know a good place.

4

It really doesn’t matter who you buy it from, since there’s only one exporter who has a license to sell Jamon in the US: Fermin. I bought a leg earlier this year from hotpaella.com. They had a great deal on it at the time (about 40%) off. I got the “regular” Pata Negra and not the Bellota. And it was pretty darn tasty - about on par with the average stuff you’d get in Spain.

I’ve also bought the sliced stuff, and IMHO that’s a mistake. It’s sliced too thin, which ruins it for me. If you’ve never had jamon in Spain, then you’d probably think the sliced stuff was killer… but the texture of slightly thicker hand sliced is soooooo much better. And to me, it makes all the difference in the world. I’d rather have regular Pata Negra hand sliced than Bellota pre-sliced by a machine.

Is Bellota worth the extra money? Yes, but it’s soooooo expensive here in the US, that I can’t pull the trigger on it since the regular Pata Negra is really, really good. But Bellota Jamon would be my “last meal” choice.

5

If you eat it sufficiently often, you may get that wish. [snort.gif]

6

I got some Mangalitsa “jamon” from Dean and Deluca in St. Helena back in July. I think it is the equal of any bellota that I have had and it was $120 a pound sliced. I imagine if you contact them directly, you could get a whole leg for a better price.

7

What about their legs? They don’t need those. Ooh! They look tasty!

8

Only applies to Hobbits neener

9

Here in San Diego, it’s $150/lb at Pata Negra, a deli associated with the Costa Brava restaurant.

10

  1. La Tienda and Despaña are probably your best bets.

  2. In theory 5J’s (5 Jotas) should be better than the Fermín. 5J’s comes from the town of Jabugo, considered one of the best areas producing Ibérico ham. It is hard to judge if it is worth the extra tariff unless you try them side by side since it is a product that varies from one batch to another. Maybe your best bet is buying a sampler of slices of each brand and try them to determine which one you want to buy as a whole. Another option you have to save some cost is by buying a Paleta de Ibérico de Bellota (Pig’s front leg). They take less time to age since they are smaller and for that reason they are less expensive than their back leg (Jamón) counterparts.

  3. Ibérico and Pata Negra are the same thing. The difference in the quality of Ibéricos depend on the type of feed provided to the pigs. Ibérico de Bellota is the top category and is the one where the pigs are roaming free through the dehesas eating acorns and some wild herbs during their last four months before they are slaughtered. These pigs can gain up to 50% of their original weight with their acorn diet.

  4. NEVER slice your ham with an electric slicer. The following link shows you step by step how to cut a ham.

SALUDos,
José

11

Hi All,
So I decided to spring for a Pata Negra de Bellota Jamon. The whole quarter came in a couple weeks ago in a plastic bag. On the advice of my friend, I put it in the stand and left it for 10 days before I began slicing into it. This particular Jamon doesnt taste anything like the ones Ive had before. There is virtually no fat or “shine” to the meat when it is sliced, and it is incredibly dry not to mention uncharacteristically salty. I began slicing the section with the hoof pointing up. My question is, do you think the quality of the Jamon will improve the deeper I get? Do you think perhaps during transport something happened to the Jamon? I have photos of it, but I do not know how to post them.
Please let me know if you guys have any experience. This Jamon was super expensive, but I understand that it is a natural product and subject to variations. Am thinking of sending it back. Would love to know any advice.

Thanks
J

12

Slice a bag full and send it to me and i will give you my opinion!

That doesn’t sound good as it should be one of the better things you ever put in your mouth if it is any where near what they serve in Espana.

13

J,

Where did you wind up sourcing your jamon from?

14

Michael,
I got it from a friend who owns a restaurant here. Got it for about 50% of what it retails for. Its my 3rd ham from the same supplier and just doesnt seem qualitatively similar. If anyone wants to send me their email addy, I am happy to email them pics of it and perhaps they would know how to post the pics to this forum. Im not a good computer guy.

J

16

Frank, Thanks so much for the help posting the pics. If anyone wants any other angles, let me know.