BLÁZQUEZ
Guijuelo, a small town in the province of Salamanca: since 1932, Jamones Blázquez has been the bearer of a unique expertise, linked to the production of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, the absolute excellence of the world's charcuterie. Now in its fourth generation, this family of farmers has transformed what was already a gastronomic marvel into a gourmet masterpiece, appreciated by the most demanding chefs, maîtres, and luxury gourmets in over 30 countries.
Bellota in Spanish means “acorn”
The bond that links black-hoofed pigs and the oak trees that cover large areas of this part of western Spain – between the province of Salamanca and the regions of Extremadura and Andalusia – is intimate and vital. This is because the oak woods not only represent the ideal habitat where the pigs live freely, but also produce the only food they eat, and of which they are extremely fond: acorns.
It is a bond that is renewed every year, in autumn, when the montanera season begins: this is when Blázquez releases a selección of its best Iberian pigs so that they can feed and fatten in the most natural context possible, roaming free over more than 30,000 hectares set aside for pasture.
When they are released into the wild, the pigs weigh roughly 90 kg; by the end of the montanera period, between January and March, they will reach more than 180 kg. They put on 1 kg a day by eating 10 kg of acorns every 24 hours.
But for the pigs to reach their ideal weight relying exclusively on an acorn-based diet, their density must be very low: one pig every two hectares of land. And in some years even fewer, because every montanera is different from the next, just as it happens with wine vintages. There are “good” years, when the acorns are plentiful and large, and years when the land is more frugal and yields fewer fruits. The ham will therefore have better and less good vintages. It is up to the expertise of those who raise the pigs – and in this Blázquez can count on four generations of master ham makers – to decide how to proceed.
And here it is, the first of the secrets behind the excellence of Blázquez hams: vast open spaces, very few pigs grazing freely in herds, acorns rich in oleic acid that give their meat a unique flavour, tinting the fat with its characteristic coral colour that literally melts in the mouth, for one of the most extraordinary taste experiences imaginable.
His Majesty, jamón iberico de bellota
...commonly known as Patanegra.
Yes, it’s true: if we had to picture a podium of the best hams in the world, standing on the very top step we would find none other than Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, the pinnacle of world charcuterie, produced from pigs with a black coat and equally black hooves – hence the name Pata Negra.
There is only one place on the entire planet where these pigs are raised and turned into a gourmet icon: Guijuelo, a small town in the province of Salamanca. A PDO area, officially recognised and regulated, where 80% of all Bellota hams are produced.
Here, among oak woods and wide open fields, you’ll find Jamones Blázquez, master ham makers for more than 90 years.
A family of farmers who have succeeded in turning what was already a gastronomic marvel into a gourmet masterpiece, loved by the most demanding chefs, maîtres and fine-dining enthusiasts in over 30 countries.
But what is the secret behind such excellence?
The answer is simple, but to be fully appreciated it calls for a rich and exciting story. So get comfortable, because the story we’re about to tell starts with something very small: an acorn.
Jamón Ibérico de Bellota: from preparation, to drying, to ageing
At the end of the montanera, when the pigs have now doubled their initial weight, they are slaughtered in a way that causes them the least possible stress. Even the time of year – between the end of January and the end of March – in which slaughter takes place is set out in the PDO regulations. The hams (jamones) and shoulders (paletas) are trimmed before being salted. They are then stacked in layers, forming a pyramid of hams and unrefined sea salt.
To ensure that all the meat receives an even salting, Blázquez’s specialists move the hams that were on top the previous day to the bottom, rotating their position in the pyramid. This process always lasts for a different period of time: it is the skill and experience built up over years of craftsmanship that determine when the perfect moment has come to move on to the drying phase.
This precious know-how is something that Blázquez has not only preserved, but refined generation after generation. The hams lose their initial moisture inside the secaderos – refrigerated rooms with controlled temperature and humidity – for around three weeks.
At this point, we are on the threshold of the warm season. It’s time to move the hams to the upper floors of the facilities, where the natural secaderos are located. These are very large rooms where the jamones will spend the whole summer, losing most of their weight as they dry. Here, they are caressed by the wind, skilfully channelled by the master artisans who open and close doors and windows according to a pattern known and passed down to only a very select few, able to create the perfect airflow for ideal drying.
Autumn has returned, and the hams are now taken down into the cellar, where they complete their ageing process for at least 30 months: a very slow maturation that turns them into the gastronomic excellence that should never be missing from any convivial table.
For us at Longino & Cardenal, Blázquez sets aside the selection of the selection of its best jamones, which are branded with our logo using a hot iron.
Para compartir: the philosophy behind tasting Blázquez Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
Sociable, friendly, shared and, above all – as the Spanish say – para compartir, to share. Its place of honour is a plate set right in the middle of the table, with small portions, slices strictly hand-cut, no longer than 2–3 centimetres, that everyone can – indeed must – enjoy in a single bite. In this case, etiquette does not require the use of a fork: your fingers are more than acceptable.
To be honest, Blázquez Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is not only the pinnacle of world charcuterie, it is its undisputed sovereign – the true king of all tapas.
It was originally a dish reserved for special occasions – weddings, parties, ceremonies and celebrations – but over the years it has become a delightful, irresistible habit to precede any kind of meal. The more people, the better. Because its deepest soul, the one that emerges from its inimitable flavour, is conviviality itself.
The magic of its flavour and the texture of its meat has a double nature: one wild, one artistic.
The first transports us to the fincas, the vast oak-covered estates where Blázquez lets its best black-hoofed pigs roam free and feed exclusively on acorns.
The second is linked to the mastery of an ancient craft, an art handed down from generation to generation: that of el cortador.
The cortadores are a real institution – so much so that cutting championships are held to decide who is the very best among them.
There is no major occasion in Spain that does not call for the presence of one of them to prepare the lonchas, the delicate slices of Iberian ham that melt in the mouth.
So what makes the flavour of Blázquez Jamón Ibérico de Bellota so incomparable?
The answer lies in the fine veins of fat that run through the muscle of the meat – a coral-coloured fat that is the direct result of their exclusive diet. If we add to this the fact that Blázquez controls the entire production chain – from the oak pastures to the facilities where the hams are produced – it becomes clear that every step of the process is geared towards the highest possible quality. And not only that, but towards sustainability as well.
There is no farming system in the world more sustainable and respectful of the animal than the one Blázquez reserves for its cerdos.
From a nutritional and organoleptic point of view, their jamones are rich in oleic acid, the same found in the acorns the pigs feed on. A “good fat that does no harm”, suitable even for those on a diet.
A small curiosity: to judge the quality of the ham, try standing a plate upright with a slice of Bellota on it. If the slice stays attached to the plate, it means the ham has “sweated out the fat from the acorns” – in other words, it is rich in oleic acid.
Ladies and gentlemen, what you have in front of you is a 100% Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. Word of Blázquez.
