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An exceptional ham by Marcial Castro, made from 100% Iberian pigs raised free-range and fed on acorns during the montanera, before being naturally cured in the heart of Guijuelo, south of Salamanca.
100% Iberian acorn-fed ham certified by the Guijuelo PDO, produced by the family-run Marcial Castro company in Guijuelo, in the province of Salamanca. Made from 100% Iberian pigs, it benefits during the montanera from a diet based on acorns, grass and the natural resources of the dehesa. Its slow, natural curing in Guijuelo develops a melt-in-the-mouth texture, generous marbling and complex aromas.
Some hams tell the story of a particular region. This Marcial Castro 100% Iberian Acorn-Fed Ham is one of them.
Produced in Guijuelo, in the heart of the province of Salamanca, it brings together the two elements that define the character of great Iberian hams: the exceptional quality of 100% Iberian pork and Guijuelo's ancestral expertise in natural curing.
Marcial Castro, a family-run company established in Guijuelo for more than a century, continues this expertise today. The fifth generation is involved in carrying on this tradition, with production that combines traditional methods, mastery of the raw material and natural curing conditions.
This ham belongs to Class I of the Guijuelo PDO: 100% Iberian Acorn-Fed Ham.
The denomination's specification reserves this category for animals with 100% Iberian racial purity, descended from breeding animals registered in the Genealogical Book of the Iberian breed. For this category, the minimum individual carcass weight is set at 108 kg.
But breed is only part of the story.
Before slaughter, pigs destined for the “acorn-fed” category must spend more than 60 days in the montanera. During this period, they feed exclusively on acorns, grass and the natural resources of the dehesa, with no supplementary feed. The specification also sets a minimum age of 14 months at the time of slaughter.
It is this combination of genetics, free-range rearing, physical activity and natural feeding that contributes to the particular richness of Iberian acorn-fed ham.
The montanera is one of the essential stages in the life of the Iberian pig.
In the dehesa, a vast traditional landscape of grasslands dotted mainly with holm oaks and cork oaks, the animals roam across large areas in search of food.
Acorns are therefore an essential resource. Together with grass and other natural resources of the dehesa, they contribute to the gradual accumulation of particularly fine fat and its infiltration into the muscle.
The Guijuelo PDO specification precisely regulates this period: the animals must enter the montanera between 1 October and 15 December, with slaughter taking place between 15 December and 31 March.
Marcial associates this origin with El Encinar de Poniente, where the Iberian pig develops in its natural environment before the hams are brought to Guijuelo for their long maturation. Marcial presents this complementarity as one of the hallmarks of the company: the air of the dehesa for the pig, followed by the air of Guijuelo for the ham.
After slaughter and preparation of the cuts, another journey begins: the journey through time.
Guijuelo lies at around 1,000 metres above sea level, in the south-eastern part of the province of Salamanca. The region has a continental climate characterised by long, cold and dry winters, as well as hot summers and significant temperature variations. The Guijuelo PDO specification considers these climatic conditions particularly favourable for producing high-quality hams.
This is the environment in which Marcial naturally cures its hams.
The company highlights its natural curing rooms in Guijuelo, where the cold, dry air allows the pieces to evolve slowly and progressively. According to Marcial, some of its pieces can reach 36 to 60 months of curing, well beyond the minimum period required by the denomination.
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