There's ham that's salt cured and smoked, there's ham that's salt cured and air dried (proscuitto and serrano), there's ham that's salt cured and aired dried from specific porcine (Iberico), then there's the Holy Grail of hams... Iberico Bellota. Specifically from free range black footed pigs in Spain that gorge themselves on wild acorns. Not as salty as proscuitto, a touch of game and fat to die for... the fat literally melts in your mouth. The La Tienda website was the only place I originally discovered this luscious ham but it's now available at the R. Fields gourmet section in the local Foodland Supermarkets. Of course it doesn't come cheap but then again, neither do Rolls Royce's or Lear Jets and this ham is in the same class.
Paired with a luscious dessert wine - I paired it with a 2003 Ponzi Vino Gelato which consisted of 60% Muscat, 40% White Riesling and it had a rich nose of apricots, orange curd and honeysuckle, a rich palate but not overly cloying and a long finish.
Of course, man does not live by Iberico Bellota and dessert wine alone so I also indulged in some Lomo Curado (red pepper cured pork loin), fig cake, sliced radishes and Brie with a little 2000 Cavallotto Riserva Vignolo Barolo. Cavallotto is one of ny favorite Barolo producers -it had a nose of old leather, cedar cigar box and dried red cherry with loads of earth and a pleasing balance of acid, tannin and dried fruit on the palate with a long finish. Life is good!
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