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75% Iberian Bellota shoulder ham certified by the PDO Guijuelo, produced by Marcial Castro in Guijuelo, in the province of Salamanca. Made from 75% Iberian pigs, free-range raised in the dehesa and fed on acorns, grass and natural resources during the montanera.
A characterful shoulder ham, with generous marbling and delicate aromas, expressing the richness of an authentic bellota product. Under the current PDO Guijuelo specifications, this shoulder belongs to Class II: Paleta de Bellota Ibérica, which includes 50% and 75% Iberian pigs. The finished piece must weigh more than 4 kg and undergo a minimum production period of 600 days.
There are several ways to enjoy a great Iberian product.
The paleta is the piece taken from the pig's front shoulder, while jamón comes from the hind leg. Their shape is different and, generally, so is their size, but this anatomical difference does not mean that the paleta is an inferior version of the ham.
Iberian shoulder ham has a character of its own, with a particular balance between meat, marbled fat, bone and muscle tissue. In a bellota piece, this combination develops a melting texture and characteristic aromas during the long curing process.
This Marcial Castro 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder is a different expression of Iberian bellota: it follows the same bellota feeding system as the 100% Iberian shoulder, but comes from an animal with a different percentage of Iberian genetics.
Produced in Guijuelo, in the heart of the province of Salamanca, it benefits from the same production environment and family know-how that characterise Marcial Castro.
Marcial Castro is a family business established in Guijuelo for more than a century, with a tradition passed down through five generations, combining traditional methods, careful selection of raw materials and long natural curing under the conditions of Guijuelo.
This is probably one of the questions customers are most likely to ask.
With these two bellota shoulders, the fundamental difference lies in the genetics of the pig.
The 100% Iberian Bellota Shoulder comes from a pig with 100% genetic purity of the Iberian breed, whose breeding animals are registered in the Genealogical Book.
The 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder, on the other hand, comes from a pig whose genetic heritage is 75% Iberian. The PDO Guijuelo specifications state that these animals come from Iberian females registered in the Genealogical Book and breeding males resulting from the crossing of an Iberian mother and a Duroc father, also registered in the relevant Genealogical Book.
Spanish regulations define the same genetic scheme for obtaining 75% Iberian animals: a 100% Iberian female and a male resulting from the crossing of a 100% Iberian mother and a 100% Duroc father.
Both categories therefore carry the “bellota” designation. The essential difference between them is not their feeding during the montanera, but the genetic percentage of the Iberian breed.
Within PDO Guijuelo, the 100% Iberian Bellota Shoulder belongs to Class I, while the 50% or 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder belongs to Class II.
Presenting this shoulder simply as an alternative to the 100% Iberian version would be an oversimplification.
The breed percentage distinguishes the different Iberian categories, but does not by itself determine the organoleptic characteristics of each piece. The animal's diet, development, activity during the montanera, the individual piece and the curing process also contribute to the final result.
The 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder therefore offers its own profile, combining the richness of an acorn-based diet with the particular characteristics of a shoulder from a 75% Iberian pig.
Rather than establishing a hierarchy with the 100% Iberian shoulder, it is better understood as another expression of Iberian bellota shoulder ham.
The term “bellota” is essential.
Marcial's 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder is not simply a shoulder from a crossbred Iberian pig. To qualify for this category, the conditions of breeding and feeding are also regulated.
During the montanera, the pigs must develop in the dehesa and feed exclusively on acorns, grass and the natural resources available, without supplementary feed.
The PDO Guijuelo specifications state that animals intended for “bellota” products must spend more than 60 days in the montanera immediately before slaughter. They also specify that entry into the montanera must take place between 1 October and 15 December, while the slaughter period runs from 15 December to 31 March.
Spanish regulations also require more than 60 days in the montanera, a minimum weight gain of 46 kg and a minimum slaughter age of 14 months.
The dehesa is the natural environment in which the montanera takes place.
In this traditional ecosystem, made up of pastureland and trees such as holm oaks and cork oaks, pigs roam freely across large areas in search of acorns, grass and other natural resources.
Marcial associates this origin with El Encinar del Poniente, its estate located in the Extremaduran dehesa. According to the producer, this is where the pigs are raised and spend the montanera before the pieces travel to Guijuelo for processing and long maturation.
It is this combination that Marcial summarises through its concept of “Aire Marcial”: the dehesa environment for the pig and the cold air of Guijuelo for the curing of the piece.
After the montanera comes another journey: the journey of time.
Guijuelo lies at around 1,000 metres above sea level, in the foothills of the Central System, between the Sierra de Béjar and Sierra de Francia. The PDO specifications point out that the long winters facilitate the natural drying of the pieces, while summers favour the sweating process, during which fat infiltrates between the muscle groups.
At Marcial, the shoulders slowly evolve in natural curing rooms in Guijuelo, where environmental conditions accompany the curing process. The company particularly highlights the role of the cold, dry air of the mountains surrounding Guijuelo in the evolution of its products.
The PDO Guijuelo requires the 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder to undergo a minimum production period of 600 days, for a finished piece weighing more than 4 kg. This requirement corresponds to Class II of the designation, which includes bellota shoulders from 50% and 75% Iberian pigs.
Salting, washing, post-salting, drying, curing and ageing take place gradually. Over time, moisture is progressively reduced and aromas develop, while the fat evolves and integrates with the muscle tissue.
Spanish regulations establish a general minimum production period of 365 days for Iberian shoulders and a minimum weight of 4 kg. PDO Guijuelo currently imposes more demanding conditions for this category, increasing the minimum production period to 600 days.
When sliced, PDO Guijuelo shoulders display meat ranging from pink to purplish red, with a glossy appearance and streaks of fatty tissue and marbled fat.
The PDO describes meat with a delicate, sweet or lightly salted flavour, low in fibre and highly friable, with a pleasant and characteristic aroma. The fat is unctuous, glossy, white to yellowish in colour and aromatic.
These characteristics are common to products protected by the designation and help explain the distinctive character of the shoulder: a more compact piece with a different shape from the ham, yet equally capable of offering a melting texture and rich aromas.
The specifications also establish a precise physicochemical criterion: the minimum content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) is 54%, according to the official method specified by the designation.
The 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder belongs to Class II of PDO Guijuelo. Its origin, genetics, feeding, rearing and the various stages of production are subject to a system of control and traceability.
The specifications require protected products to carry numbered, tamper-proof seals and the corresponding label. Within the PDO Guijuelo identification system, the red seal identifies “De bellota ibérico” products, while black identifies “De bellota 100% ibérico” products and green identifies “De cebo de campo ibérico” products.
PDO certification therefore guarantees compliance with the conditions established in the specifications, from the selection and control of the animals through to the production and maturation of the shoulder in Guijuelo.
At Marcial Castro, time plays a central role. After the different stages of preparation, salting and drying, the pieces slowly evolve under the natural conditions of Guijuelo.
The company, with more than a century of history and five generations involved in the production of Iberian products, combines family tradition, traditional methods and continuous control of the process.
This 75% Iberian Bellota Shoulder PDO Guijuelo Marcial Castro offers a distinctive way to discover Iberian bellota shoulder: a piece that differs from both the ham and the 100% Iberian shoulder, yet is produced according to the requirements of PDO Guijuelo and benefits from the full aromatic richness of long natural maturation.
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