Iberico: The Rolls Royce of ham

MANILA, Philippines - It’s the Rolls Royce of ham,” says Oscar Lerena, export manager of Consorcio de Jabugo, S.A., which specializes in the production and marketing of the best Iberian ham worldwide. “There are two kinds of ham,” Lerena explains, “Serrano, which is the standard white pork, and Iberico, which is special and unique. Iberico is the name of the animal famous for its special feature of fat infiltrating into the muscles.” It’s a healthy kind of fat, Lerena adds.  Since Iberico pork is fed a natural diet of acorns, much of its fat is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid known to lower LDL or bad cholesterol and raise HDL or good cholesterol. Only olive oil is higher in oleic acid. Because of this healthy feature, “many people consider Iberico ham as olive tree with legs,” Lerena says.

Jabugo is an area located in southwest Spain, about an hour and a half away from Seville. “Every person knows what Jabugo ham is, yet if you look at a map of Spain, you cannot locate Jabugo. But if you say Jabugo, they will look at you with envy, because this is where you can find the best ham in the world,” Lerena says. “We specialize in Iberico.”

“We have the best conditions,” Lerena explains. It’s the combination of the land, the altitude, and the feed of the pork  free-range pork that feed on acorns fallen from oak trees in pasture lands on the hills of Jabugo. The pork feed on acorns during the autumn and winter months, from September to March. Iberico pork will live from 16 to 18 months, double the time of white pork. Curing takes 36 months or even up to 42 months. “It’s an investment of at least five years,” Lerena observes. “It takes time and patience to produce. It’s expensive to produce, that’s why it’s much more expensive than white pork. It’s expensive even in Spain.”

Yet, there’s an enthusiastic market for Iberico ham, with the local market even larger than the export market. “It’s difficult to find anyone who dislikes the ham,” Lerena says. “The flavor of this ham is nothing to compare with anything you have tasted.”  Outside of Spain, Italy is their main client. “They have their own production but they consider Iberico the best,” Lerena says.

Consorcio de Jabugo was the first company authorized for Asia, and Japan was the first country they exported to.  “The Asian market is probably the best market to sell this product to. They know about the value of this product,” says Lerena. “In Anglo-Saxon countries, they cook with butter and eat hamburger but they do not want to see the fat. They want to remove the fat. In Japan, they have the Wagyu beef.

They know that fat is the most important thing, for flavor. It is easier for us to communicate. It is natural in the Asian culture. You can find Iberico in shabu-shabu, which is popular in Tokyo and Osaka.”

Rustan’s now introduces Iberico ham from Jabugo to the Philippines with the Capa Negra brand as part of its Corazon de Espana Spanish Festival 2012 in the month of September. Lerena relates that in the past years, the Tantocos regularly got three to four legs of ham for their personal consumption. During their visit to Spain this year, he finally got to meet with them and the idea of making the product available in the Philippine market materialized.

“Iberico will be a household name. It’s just a matter of time,” Lerena says. “Rustan’s will be a landmark, for sure, because of the culture. If pork is in the culture, there will be people willing to buy the best reference of the product.”

Francisca “Pacqui” Torralbo, maestro cortador or master carver of Consorcio de Jabugo came to demonstrate and train Rustan’s staff in the skill of “hand-slicing” the ham. “It’s an art,” she says. “It’s a total performance.” The ham is carefully hand carved using a sharp knife with a long thin blade. You have to get the correct angle and the natural movement to achieve the perfect, paper-thin slice that will have all the flavors in the different parts of the ham, with the sweet part at the top, while the bottom part is more salty. You need to get the balance.

Maestro cortador Pacqui Torralba

Pacqui grew up in a family engaged in the Iberico pork business for generations. She was the first lady carver in Spain, and she had been doing this for the past 20 years. She worked for years at Paris Lafayette where she was the quality control manager of Iberico hams and managed the shop Bellota-Bellota on the 3rd floor of the famous store.

While restaurants would usually buy a whole leg of bone-in ham, 80-grams pre-sliced packs are also available for private customers. At the opening of the Rustan’s Corazon de Espana Spanish Festival, guest of honor Sen. Edgardo Angara related his personal experience with the much-coveted Iberico ham, packing in his luggage a whole leg of bone-in ham all the way from Jabugo and having to pay for overweight, unaware that it can be bought in pre-sliced packs.

If it is not to be consumed right away, it is best to keep it in the fridge, Lerena advises. “Once you want to open, take it out of the ref and leave at room temperature, about 20 degrees centigrade, for about half an hour. Then open the vacuum packed seal and separate each slice and display on a plate. Wait 15 minutes until the color becomes brighter, like alabaster, and you see the sweat. That is the right moment to eat the ham.”

It’s only right that it’s served in silky thin slices to deliver the rich, intense taste and complex flavor that melts in your

Mouth  somewhat sweet with a nutty hint, and not too salty. “It can be considered as the umami of the Japanese, the fifth taste,” says Lerena. “It’s difficult to describe.”  You can have it on bread with a neutral flavor such as a baguette or ciabatta, and paired with your favorite dry red wine or sherry. It is good for starters or as a snack. It is not for daily consumption but certainly for special occasions.

“In Spain, it is also given as a Christmas gift, to be shared with family and friends,” Lerena says.“We have talked about the theory. Now the most important thing is the tasting,” Lerena concludes. “The product must speak for itself.”

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Rustan’s Supermarket and Stores Specialists Inc. celebrates all things Spanish at the Rustan’s Corazon de Espana Spanish Festival 2012 for September. The festival features Spain’s world-renowned luxury brands and products such as Lladro porcelain figurines, Spanish fans and veils, Mantones de Manille, lace from Volart; fragrances such as Gotas de Oro Classica, Gotitas, and Para mi Bebe;  as well as fashion labels such as Perlas Majorica and Hoss, Pedro del Hierro, Massimo Dutti, Springfield, and Zara; plus an assortment of Spanish wines, cheeses, and deli products such as Jamon Iberico Bellota, Gracia Baquero, and Consorcio de Jabugo.