Kintoa ham

Jambon du Kintoa

What it is

Pie noir du Pays basque pigs spend at least their last seven months on identified runs, where grass, roots, acorns and chestnuts make up about half of what they eat while finishing, and are slaughtered at 12 to 24 months. Legs of 10 kg or more are dry-salted with Salies-de-Béarn salt and cured at least 16 months, ten in unrefrigerated rooms open to the outside air; the specification credits the plant compounds stored in the fat with slowing rancidity enough to allow that long cure.

In the kitchen

The meat face is rubbed with Espelette pepper before packing, so season nothing until you have tasted it. Let the slices reach room temperature and keep their fat: it is the fat that stores what the pigs grazed.

Goes with

Espelette pepper Piquillo pepper Ossau-Iraty Cherry Fig Cantaloupe melon Egg Tomato

Same species

Andouillette Boudin blanc Natural casings Caul fat Chorizo Ciauscolo

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