The tastings of cured ham Pata Negra have, in recent years, become a classic of contests from all over the world, promoting the preparation of many specialists who have been establishing the bases and the steps for a satisfactory tasting, guaranteeing that the organoleptic qualities of the Pata Negra cured ham can be described as precisely as possible.
While approaching the process that goes from raising the pig to curing, the definitive moment comes, tasting the Pata Negra cured ham, a final tasting that will serve to highlight the product and therefore establish its gastronomic value. However, it is necessary to have basic notions of the language and the patterns used, to be able to take full advantage of our senses and to capture its true quality and taste.
What is the importance of Pata Negra cured ham exposure in food tastings?
It’s appearance, captured by our vision, is the first thing to interact with our senses, during a tasting. We can observe its shape and discern from the beginning if we are faced with a true quality Pata Negra cured ham.
A broad ham, with a black or dark paw, which has very thin bones and contains some molds on the most superficial part, presents itself as an excellent competitor, at least in appearance. Undoubtedly, the experts pay close attention to the appearance of the piece. Once the ham is peeled, the first layer of yellow fat may be seen due to the time it has been exposed to. As soon as you start preparing the piece to be sliced, you can see a good amount of white fat stuck to the muscles, which owes its presence to the grazing regime in which the pig was fattened. If the hue of this fat is pink, it means that we are not just facing any ham, but one of the best examples of Alentejo Pork Ham / Iberian Pork.
The thin part also suggests many things briefly. In general, in the less cured areas and at room temperature, a good ham has an intense red or pink color and is bright, because of intramuscular fat. Additionally, we can observe a whole series of crystallized amino acids that are broken down by lean meat.
Specialists in the tasting of the Pata Negra ham make sure that they are responsible for the taste refinements that give this ham such a special personality. We speak of umami, a flavor discovered a few years ago in Japan and which literally means tasty.
- The origin of the Portuguese Varanegra Smoked Ham – Estremoz
The perfect microclimate to produce traditional charcuterie is found at the city of Estremoz based in the heart of the Alentejo - one of the most peculiar climates in the mainland of Portugal, also perfect for the production of wine and sausages. Estremoz has rigorous and humid winters and hot and dry summers, the ideal climate for the production of these wonderful gastronomic delicacies. This climate is achieved due to its geographical location, the city is based on the largest reserve of marble deposits in the Iberian Peninsula and protected from strong winds by the majestic Serra dʻOssa, which make Estremoz perfect for the natural cure of the product all of this added to the professionalism of the employees that make up the SEL family.
Varanegra Cured Ham has its own shine, whose only ingredients are raw material, sea salt and a lot of patience.