Thursday, December 4, 2008

This little piggy had acorns...


The most delicious meat in the world is pata negra (or black hoof in Spanish and Portuguese) from the Black Iberian pig. Pata negra is a type of jamón ibérico de bellota, ham from free-range pigs that roam oak forests along the border between Spain and Portugal, and eat only acorns (thanks wikipedia!).

Jake and I tried pata negra while visiting the Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park, IL. Wondering how much this fine ham will set you back? We found it for $160.00 per pound. Our 6 or so thin slices rang in at $10.00. It's very worth it though if you're a foodie-type and enjoy prosciutto.

Pata negra is the best prosciutto you can imagine. It's texture is very similar, but it is so much more deliciously oily. The thin slices exude a rich oil as a result of the acorn diet. Definitely something to try if you have the chance!

[Image from su-lin]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the mention, and glad you enjoyed the pata negra. Hope to see you soon, Michelle @ Marion Street Cheese Market