Iberian Shoulder
Whats is Paleta Ibérica (iberian shoulder)
Our specialty in Iberian ham extends to the Iberian shoulder ham. We have at your disposal the best Iberian shoulder hams produced in Spain. Most of our high-quality pieces are selected directly in the dryer by our master ham maker so that you can enjoy this exquisite product.
What is an Iberian shoulder?
An Iberian shoulder is the front legs of a pig of the breed native to Spain. These pieces of meat are salted and preserved in cellars for a certain period of time depending on the weight, breed, brand and complexion of the pig itself. The Iberian breed is known worldwide in part for its flavor and also for what is known as "entreverado" of its lean meat, which is the succession of bacon and meat throughout the piece, which characterizes it a juicy, intense flavor.
Buy Iberian shoulder ham online
You can select between the different qualities such as the Summum Shoulder Ham, which is a 100% acorn-fed Iberian shoulder ham with the Jabugo Denomination of Origin; or the most economical 50% Iberian field-fed shoulder ham. If you like the renowned 5 Jotas shoulder ham, the quality of our selected pieces will not disappoint you. You can always buy your whole or sliced shoulder ham, choosing from the available weights.
We offer the cut started for free so that you can continue cutting your Iberian shoulder ham in the ideal way. The cut of a shoulder ham is more complicated than that the ham one, and the first cut is very important to get the most out of an Iberian shoulder ham. In addition, so that you can consume it more comfortably, we offer the option of hand-slicing and vacuum packaging each of our pieces, which will be cut by one of our expert cutters. Buying an Iberian shoulder ham at La Casa del Jamón is a guarantee of quality.
Differences between an Iberian ham and an Iberian shoulder ham
The Iberian shoulder ham is smaller in size and less heavy than an Iberian ham, since it corresponds to the front end of the pig, while the ham is the back end. As the arrangement of the bones is different, the slicing of the piece is also different. It is considered more complicated to slice a shoulder ham than a ham, and the yield obtained is lower.
The taste of an Iberian shoulder ham is somewhat more intense than a ham, and the piece needs less curing. The salt penetrates more into the meat and the flavor can be a little saltier. Some customers prefer the taste of a shoulder ham to that of a ham. Otherwise, if they come from the same animal or are of the same type, the quality is considered similar.
The efficiency of an Iberian shoulder ham
It is common for many of our customers to have doubts regarding the Iberian shoulder ham efficiency, that is, the number of 100-gram or 200-gram sachets that can be obtained after slicing a piece of this quality with a knife. Not all shoulder hams are the same: after properly slicing, we estimate that approximately 30% of the original weight is a good measure to get an idea of the performance of an Iberian shoulder ham.
Types of Iberian shoulder hams
To summarize the quality standard of Royal Decree 4/2014, of January 10, which approves the quality standard for meat, ham, shoulder ham and Iberian loin, we can classify the color labels that they help the consumer to distinguish between the qualities of the Iberian shoulder hams:
- Black Label: for 100% Iberian acorn-fed Iberian shoulderhams. These are the highest quality shoulder hams, among which are the Summum shoulder hams with Jabugo Designation of Origin.
- Red Label: for Iberian acorn-fed shoulder hams with at least 50% purity in its breed.
- Green Label: for field-fed Iberian shoulder hams, whose pigs have been raised in semi-freedom and fed with piezo and field herbs and cereals.
- White Label: for Iberian bait shoulder hams, fed with fodder and raised extensively.
Cheap Iberian shoulder hams
If you have a tighter budget, the best option is an Iberico de cebo or cebo de campo shoulder ham. Although the bouquet is not comparable to the acorn-fed ones, they are still quite high-quality shoulder ham.
We usually publish offers of bait shoulder hams, lots, business gifts and gourmet products on our networks and on this website. We send your shoulder ham to all of Spain for free, check our conditions and write to us if you want us to prepare a personalized quote.