Ham cutters, artists on the rise
Seen in Japan. A wedding, two master cutters on each side of the wedding ring. One of the bull tuna, the other of the Iberian shoulder. An hour later, the fish is still intact. On the opposite side, the skillful ham maker finishes off the last slices before a lively Japanese crowd with greasy hands. They have just discovered Iberian sashimi.
The Delicatessen promotional poster is a declaration of intent. The silhouette of a dazzling example of a pig (Iberian?) starred in the promotion of the great French film, and linked for life the preferred term of sybarites with the mammal. Too bad that the delicacy that the butcher Clapet's clientele so enthusiastically did not come precisely from the animal in question... Just in case, Spain cares for and protects the origin of its meat. Our Iberian delicatessen has four designations of origin : Dehesa de Extremadura, Guijuelo (sixty percent of production), Jamón de Huelva and Los Pedroches. But let's get to the point: the acorn.
Master ham maker in Paris
In his day I spoke of the benefits of the fruit of the olive tree, the sacred tree that loses more and better oil. A wise man who bears my last name affirms that if the acorn were the basic food of the human being, we would have deprived ourselves of the pleasure of this gourmet meat. Doctors and endocrinologists never tire of repeating that pigs are olive trees with legs. The oleic acid contained in acorn-fed ham, an essential component of olive oil, keeps the heart happy. Although the pig's life is short, it fulfills that of 'twice as good', when the montanera stage arrives. From October until well into February, the fattening phase of the Iberian pig coincides with the ripening of the fruit of the oak, which translates into adding about 70 kilos in five months at the stroke of 10 kilos of acorns and herbs daily. Quite a feat and a fantasy for many.
Iberian breed pigs
SERRANO, NO THANKS
Bred in Extremadura and in the north of Seville, the shoulders of Arturo Sánchez (Guijuelo) boast of being among the most expensive in the world. ** Its experts give us some clues to differentiate the serrano from the sandwiches at school (90% of national production) from the black delicacy (only 10%) **. Take note and show off in other languages:
1. The texture of fat. The Iberian, next to the serrano, seems to shine with its own light. Fat speaks of your diet. Those raised outdoors in extensive meadows based on acorns and herbs contain higher levels of oleic acid. Don't be afraid to rub the shoulder a little. Softness is the key.
2. The Iberian shoulder is always smaller, with a weight between 6.5 and 8.5 kilos.
3. model measurements. It is clear that the Iberian breed boasts a stylized skeleton, a fine hoof (it is usually black, it is not exclusive to the breed) and a long cane.
4.The fat color It indicates the curing time and quality. Yellow, almost gold, is the color that gives us joy.
5.Then there is the price. Quality is paid.
Cinco Jotas Corner at Galeries Lafayette
THE GLOBETROTATING SHED
If one goes to the thesaurus with a 'pig', the result of the search is more like an unjustified scolding than an intelligent proposal from peers. The world does not do the pink animal justice. That is why I invite readers with enormous doses of courage to add a new term to their gallant ingenuity. Beyond cheeses, trains or cannons, we could use something like 'be like a pig'. More ungrateful is the female connotation, the sow. Neither more nor less than the mother who gave birth to Iberian specimen, the same one who today has left his home behind in search of international brides. Not bad:
PARIS
Since last May, the exclusive Galeries Lafayette have had their Cinco Jotas space. It is almost 30 square meters divided into two areas: a gastronomic boutique with shelves full of pure acorn-fed ham, shoulders and loins with denomination of origin, plus Osborne wines and spirits. Right there the small bar gathers stylish Parisians who finish the thin slices of Iberian pork with a glass of wine. Here it is Spanish.
At the Dean & Deluca boutique, pure acorn-fed ham
NEW YORK
The Big Apple has a consolidated legion of Spanish pork lovers. There have already been several calls for cutting courses in its skyscrapers. Dean & Deluca, New York's fabulous gourmet franchise, is offering Cinco Jotas shoulders for sale, priced from $500 to $900. ** Despaña Brand Foods (408 Broome St.) ** is a wine bar, gastronomic platform and online store of first-rate Spanish products. A unique story that starts in Queens, 41 years ago, where they made their own chorizo. In 2006 they opened their physical store in the heart of Soho, now converted into meeting point for New Yorkers who inspire Woody Allen.
Wrapped in African acacias, The Garden restaurant, at the Four Seasons hotel, he convinces us with portions of Cinco Jotas ham. The Beverly Hill hotel and the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park (2 West St.) do the same, where you can accompany the views of the Statue of Liberty with a festival of Iberian hams at 2West restaurant or private dinner in one of the rooms that overlooks the New York harbor.
TOKYO
in the Japanese capital, you can pay 300 euros for a kilo of authentic Bellota Ibérico. It seems that flamenco is not the only thing that excites staunch Spanish lovers. The Japanese unconditionally love our wine, oil and Iberian ham. Perhaps the Japanese attachment to cutting techniques and the subtlety of this kind of Iberian sashimi are behind this ham fever.
With a name that says it all, The Pig , in the Ginza business district, has earned the trust of Japanese pockets and palates with an Iberian proposal based on shoulders, loins, sirloins in various versions. All from 10 Vetas de Sierra Mayor, from the Jabugo region. In Ogasawara (10-10 Kawata-cho Shinjuku-ku) and in Iberikoya Roppongiten (Caprice Roppongi 1F, 7-10-2) they serve generous plates of fine flakes of Capa Negra, another of Jabugo's great references. The latter, which presumes to be e he most enormous Iberian pork bar on the planet, cleverly blends the acorn delicacy with ancestral Japanese cuisine, such as its Iberian Pork Sushi.
View 62 (Hong Kong) Paco Roncero's Chinese adventure
HONG KONG
A master cutter once confessed to me: "The day the Chinese discover acorn-fed ham, they will finish off our herds." A complex feat even for his inexhaustible tenacity, since Almost half of the world's acorns grow in Spanish and Portuguese dehesas. But beware, Chinese tenacity is capable of building bastions visible from the moon. For now, they are content to get used to its incredible taste at places like View 62 (Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Rd E), the Chinese adventure of Paco Roncero from Madrid. In just one year, his revolving restaurant (in a skyscraper almost 215 meters high) pays tribute to olive oil in a menu that offers Spanish avant-garde and Iberian delicacies.
LONDON
Let's not fool ourselves. The City has long been in the league of fine dining. Beyond the scares that pounds give us, in London you eat really well. Since 1998, the elegance of Gordon Ramsay's restaurant (Brook Street, Mayfair London W1K 4HR) has justified its three Michelin stars. Leading the way, chef Clare Smyth is the only woman in the UK to hold all three graces. One of her reference providers is Cinco Jotas. Jabugo pork competes with its impeccable recipes with a French accent.
The commander of the kitchen at the London headquarters of L'Atelier Joël Robuchon (13-15 West St.), with two Michelin stars, does the same. They serve you in Spanish, they have Spanish wine references, as well as French and German ones, and alternate between succulent lobsters and confit dishes with portions of the best ham in the world.
Plate of pure acorn-fed ham