Do you ever dream about jamon serrano?: "
I do.
While I could satisfy my cravings with jamon served at Spain-style tapas bars in the Unites States, I must abstain. While there are many variations of Spanish jamon, there's only one way to eat jamon - in the evening in a Spain tapas bar. Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Granada, Seville: all great places to eat jamon. Anywhere in Spain is a great place to eat jamon.
Driving from Seville to Ronda? Granada to the Costa del Sol? Keep a look out. Jamon can also be found at those rustic roadside restaurants who serve jamon as if mandated by law.
Every tapas bar and roadside restaurant owns a proper jamon cutting machine. The meat has been preserved and is served raw by itself or maybe on bread.
Thinly cut jamon serrano is jamon done right. A thicker cut? Tastes fine to me, but thinner slices magically bring out more flavor.
Spanish jamon comes in several variations and flavors differ depending on the type of pig, food the pig eats, cut of meat and method of preparation. Jamon serrano is everyman's jamon. It's less expensive as it comes from white pigs with no special diet.
A more fancier jamon is called jamon iberico and comes from the Iberian pig. Iberian pigs can be fed a variety of foods, but the best jamon iberico comes from pigs who are fed acorns.
A fancier, more expensive version of jamon iberico may be listed on the menu as Joselito. Joselito is a brand of jamon. Joselito jamon comes from a pig whose diet consists of acorns, acorns and more acorns. Don't worry, according to the Joselito website, the joselito pig is a "contented and happy pig".
Well,...at least it used to be.
Meat not your thing? Try vegetarian tapas in Madrid instead.
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