A DOP ham from acorn-fed black Iberian pigs, aged two years. The porco alentejano roam the montado oak pastures on Portugal’s border with Spain, fattening on acorns through the autumn montanheira.
It is a DOP tied to a pig breed, an acorn-fed feeding regime and a defined area, cured for two years in rooms whose temperature and humidity are the method.
What goes into it
- a hind leg from a free-range black Iberian pig fattened on acorns
- coarse sea salt
How it is made
The pigs graze the oak pastures for months before slaughter, which is what puts the characteristic fat into the muscle. The leg is salted for a period fixed by weight, rested cold so the salt equalises, then hung in a natural drying room and finally in a cellar. It matures for eighteen months to two years, losing a third of its weight.
How long it takes: eighteen to twenty-four months
How it is eaten
Shaved paper-thin at room temperature, with bread and a glass of red.
History
Protected DOP since 1994; the porco alentejano pigs roam the montado oak pastures on Portugal’s border with Spain, fattening on acorns.
Frequently asked questions
What is Presunto de Barrancos?
Presunto de Barrancos is a charcuterie & cured from Portugal: dOP ham from acorn-fed black Iberian pigs, aged two years. Protected DOP since 1994; the porco alentejano pigs roam the montado oak pastures on Portugal’s border with Spain, fattening on acorns.
How is Presunto de Barrancos made?
The pigs graze the oak pastures for months before slaughter, which is what puts the characteristic fat into the muscle. The leg is salted for a period fixed by weight, rested cold so the salt equalises, then hung in a natural drying room and finally in a cellar. It matures for eighteen months to two years, losing a third of its weight. It takes eighteen to twenty-four months.
Can I make Presunto de Barrancos at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a DOP tied to a pig breed, an acorn-fed feeding regime and a defined area, cured for two years in rooms whose temperature and humidity are the method.
What goes into Presunto de Barrancos?
A hind leg from a free-range black Iberian pig fattened on acorns, coarse sea salt.
How is Presunto de Barrancos eaten?
Shaved paper-thin at room temperature, with bread and a glass of red.
