There is a place in Spain that smells deliciously of ham, and that place is the town of Jabugo in the heart of the Sierra de Aracena natural park. If we go back in time, to the 19th century, this was a destination for recreation and rest for Sevillian high society which, with a temperate climate, was also a good retreat to cure all types of respiratory diseases. A town known thanks to the efforts of the Marquis of Aracena, who set out to attract the bourgeoisie of the time by creating a space to practice pigeon shooting, a very fashionable practice at that time, even King Alfonso XII himself visited the town to enjoy this sport.
While spending their days in the town, wealthy families bought and ate the excellent chazinas handcrafted by the neighbors. It is not surprising that three of the town's families decided to join together to create the first commercial ham production company: Sánchez Romero y Carvajal.
After almost 150 years the company continues, and they continue to make their products as before, passing the knowledge of the trades from parents to children.
To begin with, they only slaughter their pigs for two months, just after the season when there are acorns, only then is it possible for them to be 100% Iberian. The pieces pass a first quality control and are kept in the refrigerator for 24 hours so that the fat hardens: Then the excess fat and skin is removed from the piece with a knife (it is shaped), and depending on the weight it is buried in salt, approximately for one day per kilo.
After the necessary days, they are washed in water to remove the excess salt, the salt they need has already been absorbed. They are then hung in the dryers, at a low temperature, and as time passes, the temperature is increased and the humidity is lowered so that they lose the internal water. Finally they mature at a stable temperature in the cellars, enriching in flavor until the optimal moment of consumption arrives, and this control process is manual, carried out piece by piece.
Each ham is treated individually, “because it is the only way to achieve maximum quality,” says María Castro, Communications Director of Cinco Jotas. The profiling is manual, thus ensuring that the layer of grease on the surface is necessary to protect it for at least three years, and depending on the size, up to five years of drying. While the ham is exposed in the cellar, the layer of fat oxidizes, and the oxidation makes the fat rancid, so it cannot reach the meaty part, the browned fat must be removed otherwise it would give off oxidative flavors.
Every three months they are palpated and moved within the natural, half-buried cellars. The cellar master is the one who indicates when the ham is ready, and the master calador carries out the final control, carefully inserts a cala in the ham, and by the aroma it gives off decides if it is of sufficient quality to go on the market.
The quality standard of the Iberian pig must pass quality controls that certify whether the animal is 100% Iberian or crossbred, and in the last 60 days it must have eaten acorns and grass, since the pig renews its body fat during that time.
There are four types of qualities that are differentiated by a seal on the leg, which indicates the purity of the animal and the feeding certificates. The black color (it is the only one that comes from the 100% Iberian breed); red (it is a mix of breeds), both labels are for animals that feed on acorns and grass; the green one is used for pasture-raised pigs fed grass and feed, and the white one is only for pigs fed feed.
In order for the 100% Iberian pig to reach maturity, by law, it must be more than 14 months old before being slaughtered, in 5 Jotas they have a minimum of 18 months so that they reach the appropriate weight and musculature. The animals are free since they are four months old and their meat is very red because they exercise.
According to María Castro, "to know that it is a good ham we must check: the seal and look at the hoof, if it has been in the wild it will be worn. In 100% Iberian ham the shaft is very narrow because it is fibered. As soon as the slice enters the mouth, it should dissolve quickly, and the fingers should be oily. "And it goes with everything," although she prefers a dry white wine.
At 5 Jotas they have higher demands than normal and that is why they have an artisanal and select product. The price varies, but is around 105 euros/kilo.
