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Ibérico Cebo de Campo Ham 50% Iberian breed, produced by Marcial Castro in Guijuelo, south of Salamanca. Made from pigs raised outdoors with access to the natural resources of their environment and fed, among other things, with cereals and legumes.
This ham belongs to Class III of the Guijuelo PDO, whose specifications establish for Cebo de Campo hams a minimum of 50% Iberian breed, a weight of more than 7 kg for pieces other than 100% Iberian, and a minimum production period of 800 days.
After the 100% and 75% Iberian bellota hams, Cebo de Campo represents another expression of Marcial Castro's Iberian expertise.
This ham comes from pigs that are 50% Iberian breed, in accordance with the criteria established by the Guijuelo PDO. The specifications state that this category comes from Iberian females and Duroc males registered in the corresponding genealogical books. The minimum individual carcass weight is set at 115 kg.
The difference from a bellota ham therefore lies not only in the breed percentage: it also concerns the animals' rearing method and diet.
The designation “Cebo de Campo” refers to a rearing system that differs from the montanera system used for bellota hams.
According to the Guijuelo PDO specifications, the animals may be raised on extensive farms with a maximum stocking density of 15 pigs per hectare, or in intensive outdoor facilities, which may include a covered area. For animals weighing more than 110 kg, the latter system provides for a minimum area of 100 m² per animal. The minimum rearing period before slaughter is 60 days.
The pigs may benefit from the natural resources of the countryside and dehesa, but their diet is supplemented with feed composed mainly of cereals and legumes. This is an essential difference from “de bellota”, where during the montanera period the diet consists exclusively of acorns, grass and the natural resources of the dehesa.
The Guijuelo PDO also provides for farm inspections during this period to verify compliance with the Cebo de Campo requirements.
50% Iberian breed corresponds to a precisely defined genetic category.
The Guijuelo specifications establish that, for 50% Iberian Cebo de Campo, the animals must come from Iberian females and Duroc males, both registered in the corresponding genealogical books. The minimum individual carcass weight is 115 kg.
This category therefore remains firmly within the world of the Iberian pig, with the characteristics associated with the breed, while offering a profile different from that of 75% and 100% Iberian bellota hams.
Once the rearing stage is complete, the production process begins.
The Guijuelo PDO specifications require Ibérico Cebo de Campo Ham to undergo a minimum production period of 800 days, or more than two years. For a 50% Iberian ham, the finished piece must weigh more than 7 kg.
Salting, washing, post-salting, drying and ageing take place progressively.
During the drying stage, the hams are placed in drying rooms with natural environmental conditions and openings to the outside. They remain there for the time required to allow, among other things, the gradual loss of moisture and the natural melting and fusion of the fat.
After one year of curing in the Guijuelo cellar
At Marcial, this philosophy of time is an important part of the company's expertise. Marcial states that its Iberian hams, both bellota and Cebo de Campo, are artisanally produced and slowly cured in the cold, dry air of Guijuelo, with curing periods that can reach 36 to 60 months depending on the pieces and products.
Marcial Castro is a family business established in Guijuelo for more than a century. Today, the brand represents five generations of expertise and highlights its natural drying rooms in Guijuelo, as well as the role of the local climate in the development of its hams.
For its Cebo de Campo range, Marcial describes Iberian pigs as being raised extensively, with access to the countryside, and fed with resources from their environment, supplemented with cereals.
This approach produces a ham that retains the character of Iberian pork while offering a profile different from that of bellota hams.
The Guijuelo PDO specifications describe hams that, when sliced, range in colour from pink to purplish red, with a glossy appearance and fat infiltration throughout the muscle.
The meat must be delicate, sweet or lightly salted, low in fibre and friable, with a pleasant and characteristic aroma. The fat is described as smooth and unctuous, glossy, white-yellow in colour and aromatic.
With this 50% Cebo de Campo, the appeal therefore lies in experiencing these characteristic qualities of Iberian ham within a profile different from that of bellota hams.
The breed, weight and minimum production period specifications are those set out in the 2025 Guijuelo PDO specifications.
During my visit in June 2026
The green seal identifies the Ibérico Cebo de Campo category within the Guijuelo PDO system.
The specifications clearly establish the colour code:
The green colour therefore does not designate an inferior quality: above all, it identifies the rearing and feeding system corresponding to the Cebo de Campo category.
The PDO also guarantees traceability from the farm to the finished product, including individually numbered seals on hams protected by the designation.
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