For my sister-in-law's birthday we bought her a 1/4 pound of Iberico Jamon at $100 a pound. Fortunately it was delectable and delicate. It was purchased at Despana on Broome Street in NYC. (Their main store is on Northen Blvd in Queens.) It is hand cut from a leg of ham that is held in place by the same type of spindle that serrano jamon.

They also make IMHO, the best chorizo in NYC.

Broome and what? The husband would like and I am too lazy to google.

Broome and Centre.

http://despananyc.com/

You will also find it, for better prices, at Agata and Valentina on East 79th street. Remember that there are different cuts and that the price will depend on whether it is hand- or machine-sliced. Dean and DeLuca also carries jamon Iberico.

Thanks trsny. Even though may be cheaper at Agata and Valentina, I am allergic to anything above Houston, ok, 14th Street except for the work commute. I am also allergic to the prices and tourists at D&D.

Cherrybomb

Would you like someone to chew it for you also?

How much is Iberico jamon in Madrid? Where should we taste?
Thanks!

For years there were was an import issue with Iberico ham. This ham was made by a small company near Salamanca who conformed to whatever US standards were decreed.

If I am remembering correctly, I saw prices ranging from 80 to 100 Euros per kilo in Spain..but don't quote me on this! There are other posters here (Maribel, etc) who will know better than I.

Yes please, as I do not eat meat.

Dean and Deluca, in Soho last month, had them, the bellota, at a sale price of $75 per pound. We bought a pound and a half and truly enjoyed the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth experience for a couple of weeks.

Making me hungry!

The current price for the best Ibérico Bellota (acorn fed) is in the range of 140 to 150 euros/kilo in Madrid, $205 to $225/kilo, or $93 to $103/pound at the current exchange rate. You can double or tripe that price if it ever reaches the States.

What's available now is the Jamón Ibérico, the most commonly served ham in Spain, made from the cerdo ibérico pigs that are fed a diet of grain, not acorns. You can find Serrano at many locations including Dean and Deluca, but not Bellota.

The regular Serrano ham in Dean and Deluca are widely available for about $25 a pound.

Hi all,
I just returned from several days of "ham hunting" in Madrid. Here are the results of my unofficial survey:

At the brand new "Jamón 10" store on Calle León 10 the jamón de bellota (acorn fed) goes for 138.50€ a kilo. Samples are freely given, and the staff quite friendly and helpful.

The store has only been open for a month, but it's been featured already in some Spanish gourmet magazines. It's handy for tourists and signs are in English. You can buy cryovaced packages of 100-200 grams to sneak back in your luggage (we brought back 400 grams successfully).

Another new store across from the Hotel Villa Real on Calle Prado 28 (Old Madrid), "DOCC", has similar pricing. It also has a degustation bar for ham sandwiches and sells wines, foie, oils, cheeses. Also very handy for tourists.

Way up in Northern Madrid, at La Garriga on Paseo de la Castellana 153 near Plaza Cuzco we found it at 140+€ a kilo. But this shop is a hike from downtown hotels, only handy for those staying at the AC Cuzco or Aitana.

At El Corte Inglés supermarket (Serrano branch, Barrio de Salamanca), I found jamón de bellota of the renowed Joselito and 5 Jotas brands to be identically priced at 149 euros a kilo (machine sliced).

In the Mercado de la Paz, my favorite food shopping spot in the Barrio de Salamanca, the two best stands to buy jamón are "La Boulette" (inside) and "José Alvarez" (outside).

At the latter, they will hand slice it for you (very important) and cryovac to order-any amount you desire. But their finest quality Jabugo will set you back 150 euros a kilo. They also provide samples.

At the former, they offer packages of "paletilla de jamón ibérico de bellota" from Guijuelo which go for a reasonable 8.80 for 200 grams, cryovaced and on a tray. Great for a picnic.

Prices are the same just down the street at the wonderful gourmet deli, "Mantequerías Bravo" on Ayala 24 (where I find special wines that I can't find anywhere else, including at Lavinia).

Prices are somewhat less at the Mercado de Antón Martín in the decidedly lower rent district of La Latina of Old Madrid. The classic place to buy ham there is at "La Leonesa" (outside).

And finally, at the Mallorca delicatessen in section B of Terminal 1 at Barajas, you can buy a 100 gram package of hand sliced 5 Jotas (paleta-shoulder) for 21.20€

If you want to order a small plate (ración) of acorn fed jamón de bellota at a tapas bar or restaurant in Madrid, be prepared to spend from 16,50 (at Negur Etxea, for Guijuelo) to 28€ (at Oven 180) or even more.

At Cunini in Granada, their serving of 5 Jotas goes for a reasonable 17€

p.s.
On another thread, talking about goose barnacles (percebes), they are indeed extraordinarily expensive! We had to pass them by at Madrid's Marisquería O Grelo, since the price was 220€ a kilo¡

The price of shellfish has skyrocketed in Spain, making a "mariscada" dinner at one of the best marisquerías (Combarro, Sanxenxo) a real budget buster for us.

Aduchamp,
In Navarra the head of the roast suckling pig (called gorrín there) is quite a delicacy and served separately. Our friends do eat the entire thing, eyes and all, as I recently experienced at a big gathering of Pamplona friends at a winery restaurant, where gorrín from Estella is a specialty. On this I also took a pass...

Maribel-
Thank you for ham tour. I hope it was enjoyable.

Once while visitng the family in Galicia they offered us chicken lungs. That we declined

Maravilloso!

Now, where do I apply for the position of assistant taster??

Gracias, Maribel!

Hi eks,
Just back from Madrid-Segovia-Granada and am now taking applications for our March Pedraza-Rioja trip! But you, my dear escrunchita, are a shoe-in!

BTW, we'll be spending two glorious nights at the Hospedería de Santo Domingo in room 21, so I'd love to take you along so you can say hi again to the storkies!

Maribel will you get to Restaurante Codex Calixtinus and Yantar too? Please chef Juan Pretel hello from ana maria in California (though we've not met in person yet.)
I believe he is now doing some cooking classes or demos?
I figure you have this info but in case anyone else does not
Codex Calixtinus is near Pedraza where Maribel is going (lucky you!)
Along with El Yantar it is my favorite.

BTW the link to sign up fo his new newsletter is in Spanish. I say this only because last time I was really slammed for posting a link in Spanish. So please consider this is a apology in advance to anyone who has a problem with it.
Lo siento.

http://www.restaurante-calixtinus.es/localizacion.html

Hi amsdon,
Yes, we will most definitely be headed to Codex Calixtinus in Cañicosa for dinner and will certainly give your regards to the chef! We're traveling with friends who have never visited Pedraza. They're in for a real treat!

Our terrible dilemma now is deciding where in lechazo heaven to take them for our two lunches.

Will it be to the Yantar, back to the Hermanos González butcher shop in Sacramenia, to the venerable Tinín in Sepúlveda, to more "refined" La Olma in Pedraza, up to another adventure at Mannix in Campaspero, down to Torrecaballeros to La Portada de Mediodía? So many great choices in roast lamb country.

And ana maria, if you ever find yourself in Lerma, for roast lamb we love the charming Asador Casa Brigante on the square. I guarantee that you will too.

BTW, is La Española meats selling the jamón ibérico now?
They don't have it at our Spanish Table in Seattle (no ham slicer), but they do sell it at Delaurentis, which imports it from Embutidos Fermín of La Alberca de Salamanca, like everyone else (and the cut is paletilla)-haven't checked the price.