- Cinco Jotas, Spain's finest brand
- Acorn fed, free range
- Approx. 12 lb bone-in whole paleta (front shoulder)
- Estimated arrival in the fall of 2010
- Final price $59/lb (Approx. $715 total)
NOTE: This is a deposit only - the first 5J paleta shoulders are to arrive in the fall of 2010. Your traditional Bone-In Paleta Iberico de Bellota is an exquisite and costly product. Therefore your final price will be calculated to correspond to its exact weight. Bone-in paletas weigh on the average about 12 lb. and the per pound cost is $59/lb, so the final price will be about $715, depending on the final weight. Like Beluga caviar or Kobe beef, "Iberico de Bellota" is the ultimate of its kind. We have been on a quest for this finest of all hams since we founded La Tienda more than ten years ago.
5J, or Cinco Jotas, is known as one of the elite brands of Iberico ham in the world. In fact, the word Jabugo, the town made famous by 5J, is now synonymous with top quality Iberico ham.
Cinco Jotas uses only 100% genetically pure bred Iberico pigs that live their entire lives roaming the countryside of Spain. Other companies will cross breed Iberico pigs with other breeds to increase the litter size and raw meat production. Cinco Jotas prefers to use only 100% pure Iberico even though it's more expensive.
Paleta is the cured front leg of the pig. Because it is smaller, it cures much more quickly and has less time to age. While the flavor is incredible, it is somewhat more challenging to carve than the Jamon (back leg) and does not have the same complexity of flavor due to its shorter curing time.
The paletas come from an ancient breed of pig, Cerdo Ibérico, which has been roaming the woodland meadows of western Spain feeding on acorns for thousands of years. Iberico de Bellota is the pride of Spain, and Spaniards consume the vast majority of the limited number of hams produced in their own country.
Each fall a traditional group of breeders sets aside a select group of young pigs, allowing them to roam the dehesa woodlands. There they feast upon acorns which are falling in abundance from the holm oak and cork trees. They gorge themselves, putting on at least two pounds of weight each day!
When it is time for their sacrifice (the Spanish term for slaughter), these genetically unique animals produce Paleta Ibérico de Bellota that are marbled with rich golden fat infused with the flavor of the Iberico pigs' favorite food: the acorn -'bellota' in Spanish. Remarkably, a good portion of which is mono-unsaturated, similar to healthy olive oil. Sliced paper-thin, it glistens at room temperature and provides an inimitable rich nutty flavor and tender texture.
Each paleta will be weighed before shipping. Because of variation in the size of the paleta, the price of the individual piece will vary. Bone-in paletas will weigh about 12 lbs. (close)
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