Fresh Ibérico Presa Pork Shoulder

Jamón Ibérico de bellota is cured ham from Spain, made from the pata negra breed of pig. The pigs live their lives outside, rooting and foraging around the muddy, woody, scrub of forest land in southwestern Spain. During the fall, up to 40% of their diet can come from acorns from the holm oak tree (called “bellotas” in Spanish). That nutty diet has a magical effect on the pig’s fat, giving the pork a deeply savory flavor and a texture that practically melts on the tongue.

For years, the only way to experience Ibérico pork in the US was as cured ham—like prosciutto, called jamón in spanish. Ibérico ham is supremely delicious, and well worth trying at least once. But in Spain, there’s a long tradition of eating other cuts of Ibérico pork fresh. Now we lucky American meat lovers get to experience fresh Ibérico pork direct from Spain thanks to our friends at Campo Grande.

Ibérico is life changing as a cured meat, but as a fresh meat it will make you question your reality. How can this pork taste like beef? And yet remain like pork in the best ways possible? Chefs and aficionados the world over prize this meat as one of the most flavorful in the world. The cuts go by different names than we see in the US, but they’re similar enough to ones we know to be a snap to cook. And the first bite will stop you in your tracks.

The presa is a tender cut from the shoulder, similar to a beef Denver steak. When grilled to medium rare, it will make you swear you’re eating some crazy cross between a cow and a pig. It is boneless and marbled with the melt-in-your-mouth fat that’s almost surreal.

Ships frozen, arrives frozen or cool.