Jamon and Cava

One of the greatest things about pork, let’s be honest, is fat. Fat equals flavor in any protein, it carries the wonderful meaty goodness that many grow to appreciate. One of the other great benefits of fat is that in an aged product such as charcuterie the fat is what translates the complex flavors of the aged meat; this is the same principle that makes aged steaks taste so much more special than your typical, fresh cut, steak. It’s also the same principal that goes into the complex flavors of an aged wine. Aging any food item creates more “umami,” the hard to describe taste that can only be translated as “savory.” Don’t worry though, you don’t necessarily need an aged wine to appreciate a stellar pairing with pork!

I recently visited Spain’s Penedes region and the cava producer Segura Viudas. We were there for a blending seminar and to learn how cava, the sparkling wine from Spain is made. The area of Penedes is very close to Barcelona and so of course has some amazing food. Spain’s love affair with the pig dates back centuries. Madrid’s oldest restaurant dating from 1725, Sobrino de Botín features roast suckling pigs, cochinillo asado, mentioned by Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises. Everywhere you look in Spain you see haunches of pigs hanging from the rafters of bars and restaurants, each with a small plastic upside down “umbrella” to catch the fat drippings. These aged beauties provide sustenance while downing glasses of sherry, cava or just simple red, white or rosé wines.

We were lucky to taste many aged hams but the ultimate is really the Pata Negra (black hoof) or Jamón Ibérico. There are many grades, the highest of which is the bellota, where the pig is fed only acorns during its last days. These hams have a higher fat content than Jamón Serrano and are aged at least 36 months, allowing the flavors to become more complex. The texture is almost silken and when sliced properly the meat almost melts when it enters the mouth. Unfortunately this seduction comes at a hefty price. Allowed to be imported in 2008 into the US, the meat weighs in at a pricy $96 plus a pound. So when splurging like this you may have to cut back on the price of your wine, so luckily a nice cava works well and won’t bust your budget. Or you can try one of the high quality dry cured hams made here in the US, such as La Quercia Prosciutto Americano, from Norwalk, Iowa. You’ll have a wonderful ham and some extra money to put towards your wine selection.