When divulging into to the
controversial world of meat consumption and mass production of animals to feed
our needs we only seem to focus on the bad. We have an image of hundreds, if
not thousands of chickens stuffed into cages and pumped up with cheap feed to
fatten them up unnaturally for sale. We imagine hundreds of pigs inside blacked
out barns, each separated by fences unable to even turn around. It’s enough to
turn you vegetarian. But what we are forgetting is this produce is the everyday
cheap meat we buy from the supermarket, or the meat served by fast food
restaurants to make a profit. It is the lowest quality meat after dog food.
For good quality meat you need to
look further, and nobody prides in the care of their meat more than the Spanish.
The way the Spanish feel about animals (especially pigs) is like no other in
the world. In Spain, for a pig to become a Serrano or Iberico Ham could be
possibly the best life they could imagine. Originally the Spanish felt so
strongly about the consumption of pork and ham that it was outlawed on the
Iberian Peninsula. The rest of Spain could not just give up on what had become
the staple meat of the region and refused to stop producing.
Not only are they fed on the
highest quality ingredients depending on what fate they have taken. They are
alive on average a year to a year and a half or even 2 years and they have a
very enjoyable life, free to run and play and eat the highest quality food for
a pig. Serrano white pigs are fed on a diet of cereal beets, sugar, sunflowers
and soy. This is a major factor in the pigs flavour and anything less could
alter the flavour massively. Iberico comes in two different varieties; Recebo
which are fed a mix of grain and acorns and Belotta are fed nothing but acorns.
The Ham is then sacrificed in an
extremely humane way and prepared for around 3 days. The blood is drained and it
is seasoned with salt. After this it is taken to an ageing house and could be
there being cured for up to 7 months to really produce the best flavour possible.
Once ready, not one part of the animal is wasted. The Spanish really do take
more than 100% pride in what they eat and how they prepare it. Although it is
around for a long time being aged, it has been fully cured to ensure it has a
long shelf life.
Spanish ham is now being enjoyed all over the
world, with many suppliers in the UK ordering it in and selling it on to people
who really appreciate good quality food. It is really becoming the main choice
of meat for many people as the amount of time and effort invested into making
the ham guarantees the quality and flavour that has come to be expected and
loved
