Why is Spanish pork so good?

[dazwalsh]

Maybe its just been my unlucky menu choices in the past here in the UK that led me to believe it was a prticulary hard and dry meat but ive just returned from Spain and had some beautiful meals. The highlight being from a bloody restaurant in a zoo, where i had a piece of pork loin the size of my fist cooked to perfection and it had the texture of filet steak. I was even asked how i wanted it cooking.

So why such a variation in quality of meat? Does it just come down to the different climates?

[21TonyK]

A lot comes from the "British" fear of "under cooked" pork and a lack of eating fatty meat. Of course you have Iberico in Spain and that is very good but I don't think pork in general is significantly better in Spain just better cooked. I doubt you would be asked how you wanted pork cooked in Britain although some chefs are being brave and serving pork medium.

A thickly cut pork shoulder steak marinated, seared and crispy on the outside and still a fraction pink in the middle is perfect for me.

[RC1807]

What you had in the zoo resto, wasn't pork, btw.

[rdjohn]

I think the biggest difference is in meat reared to be slaughtered en-mass in a set number of months and then factory prepared for pre-packaged sale in supermarkets.

Compared to smaller-scale farming, producing free ranging meat that is slaughtered when required. The trip to the abattoir can be extremely stressful producing unwanted hormones which tend to affect the texture of the meat.

We live between France, UK and Spain and generally buy from a local butcher, but by far the best meat comes from Spain. Beef, Pork, especially Iberico, and Lamb is always tastier, probably because of a higher fat content. Veal is about the same in each country.

Fish in France and Spain is also way better than the UK in both choice and quality.

[theplayingmantis]

Question i have is why doesn't some enterprising farmer start doing a uk version of iberico ham, there's plenty of oak woods about that could be used for forage.

Seems a gap for a UK produced artisan air dried ham of quality (yes i know there's a history of air dried ham in certain places oop north from a vague rick stein food heroes episode).

We have plenty of acorns and plenty of pigs. (assume could even import black pigs if our own species not right)

[21TonyK]

theplayingmantis said:

Question i have is why doesn't some enterprising farmer start doing a uk version of iberico ham...

Would people in the UK pay for it? It couldn't be marketed as Iberico so it would just be "really good acorn fed, air dried ham". I suspect there isn't room in the domestic market for a UK version of something that is already widely available and very good.

[Melman Giraffe]

I must say the pork in France always has a lot more flavor

[theplayingmantis]

21TonyK said:

theplayingmantis said:

Question i have is why doesn't some enterprising farmer start doing a uk version of iberico ham...

Would people in the UK pay for it? It couldn't be marketed as Iberico so it would just be "really good acorn fed, air dried ham". I suspect there isn't room in the domestic market for a UK version of something that is already widely available and very good.

I think there would be as long as it’s not costlier.

The market is bloated with crap niche products. I say bloated but I mean that as in all sorts of crap gets to market now even supermarket listings. An existing pig farmer could try it as a no risk sideline and initially market in the all manor of ‘gourmet’ food barns/ farm shops and farmers markets that are incredibly fashionable amongst the middle classes (don’t get me wrong some are excellent and sell great stuff but also much crap too crazy incredibly niche things (more so then decent air dried ham)) at least in the south east and east Anglia.

Make a name in that section then listings in local Waitrose, and then beyond is successful.

Edited by theplayingmantis on Monday 5th November 17:42

Edited by theplayingmantis on Monday 5th November 22:03

[Kermit power]

21TonyK said:

A lot comes from the "British" (...) lack of eating fatty meat.

This is the biggest issue for me. I'm not a huge pork fan, but the fattier the better, as with beef. The only meat where I prefer really lean is lamb.

I think much of the phobia goes back to the ste we got served in the seventies, both at home and in schools/restaurants, where what should be a really, really long, slow-cooked piece of meat was served up as a quick roast with the fat barely starting to melt.

One part of the pig which is utterly amazing is the cheek! Done as guanciale, it's like pancetta, just with much more fat and much more flavour! I'll cube it up, fry it until it's crispy, and then use it in salads and other dishes, whilst using the rendered fat left behind for pretty much everything else I cook in a pan.

[littleredrooster]

Melman Giraffe said:

I must say the pork in France always has a lot more flavor

I concur. We use a small, family-run farm shop in Brittany which only does pork - in all of its guises from whole animals, halves, joints and right down to sausages and offal - and it's absolutely fabulous.

Done simply on the BBQ, or perhaps with a marinade of creme fraiche and mustard, it is mouth-wateringly good every time.

[miniman]

Hahhahaha Daz ate a Penguin

[21TonyK]

miniman said:

Hahhahaha Daz ate a Penguin

lol

Plenty of UK charcuterers around but I don;t think any have made it into mainstream. I can however vouch for these guys...

https://www.good-game.co.uk/

although £10 for 100g of ham is a touch pricey.

[dazwalsh]

miniman said:

Hahhahaha Daz ate a Penguin

If it was then keep them coming it was ridiculously good.

[omniflow]

As already mentioned, Iberico Pork comes from Spain.

You can buy it over here - I have found 2 butchers in London that sell it - one in Primrose Hill and the other in Ravenscourt Park. Waitrose also sell some cuts in a pre-pack - whilst nice, this isn't a patch on the stuff you can buy from the butchers. The loin chops are fantastic - cooked slightly pink, but making sure the fat crisps up.

[Type R Tom]

I don't really enjoy supermarket pork, often too lean but the stuff from our local butcher is very good and often cheaper if you shop to the offers they do.

Also cooking is an issue for most as mentioned above. I've solved this with using a thermometer and taking the meat out before it reaches temperature to allow for resting rise. Also sous vide works very well with pork.

[ac13]

These people are very good.

http://www.trealyfarm.com/

[Jambo85]

theplayingmantis said:

21TonyK said:

theplayingmantis said:

Question i have is why doesn't some enterprising farmer start doing a uk version of iberico ham...

Would people in the UK pay for it? It couldn't be marketed as Iberico so it would just be "really good acorn fed, air dried ham". I suspect there isn't room in the domestic market for a UK version of something that is already widely available and very good.

I think there would be as long as it’s not costlier.

The market is bloated with crap niche products. I say bloated but I mean that as in all sorts of crap gets to market now even supermarket listings. An existing pig farmer could try it as a no risk sideline and initially market in the all manor of ‘gourmet’ food barns/ farm shops and farmers markets that are incredibly fashionable amongst the middle classes (don’t get me wrong some are excellent and sell great stuff but also much crap too crazy incredibly niche things (more so then decent air dried ham)) at least in the south east and east Anglia.

Make a name in that section then listings in local Waitrose, and then beyond is successful.

It has to be costlier, that's the whole point really. After chicken, pork is the next most intensively produced meat these days and the quality suffers as a result. Real pork is not pale and tasteless. These intensively reared animals rarely see the light of day, never get to root around doing what pigs do and are packed as many per square metre as possible. The breeds used are "designed" to put on weight as fast as possible, and also with a higher meat:fat ratio. Fat is flavour.

You can buy extensively reared rare breed pork, but you need to pay for it. Quiet Waters farm is worth a look.

As usual on this sort of topic, Hugh Hairy-Wittingstall's Meat book is worth a read.

rdjohn said:

Fish in France and Spain is also way better than the UK in both choice and quality.

Ironically the majority of it is probably landed in Peterhead!

[theplayingmantis]

Jambo85 said:

theplayingmantis said:

21TonyK said:

theplayingmantis said:

Question i have is why doesn't some enterprising farmer start doing a uk version of iberico ham...

Would people in the UK pay for it? It couldn't be marketed as Iberico so it would just be "really good acorn fed, air dried ham". I suspect there isn't room in the domestic market for a UK version of something that is already widely available and very good.

I think there would be as long as it’s not costlier.

The market is bloated with crap niche products. I say bloated but I mean that as in all sorts of crap gets to market now even supermarket listings. An existing pig farmer could try it as a no risk sideline and initially market in the all manor of ‘gourmet’ food barns/ farm shops and farmers markets that are incredibly fashionable amongst the middle classes (don’t get me wrong some are excellent and sell great stuff but also much crap too crazy incredibly niche things (more so then decent air dried ham)) at least in the south east and east Anglia.

Make a name in that section then listings in local Waitrose, and then beyond is successful.

It has to be costlier, that's the whole point really. After chicken, pork is the next most intensively produced meat these days and the quality suffers as a result. Real pork is not pale and tasteless. These intensively reared animals rarely see the light of day, never get to root around doing what pigs do and are packed as many per square metre as possible. The breeds used are "designed" to put on weight as fast as possible, and also with a higher meat:fat ratio. Fat is flavour.

You can buy extensively reared rare breed pork, but you need to pay for it. Quiet Waters farm is worth a look.

As usual on this sort of topic, Hugh Hairy-Wittingstall's Meat book is worth a read.

rdjohn said:

Fish in France and Spain is also way better than the UK in both choice and quality.

Ironically the majority of it is probably landed in Peterhead!

no need for the porcine education, i come from a family of farmers and agronomists so well know my livestock and meat! not that commercial animals are in our history

when i said costlier, i meant costlier than the real Iberico, i see no reason it couldn't be the same price.

best pork in this country that ive had is Blythburgh pork

[theplayingmantis]

also correct on fishes. the problem with fish/seafood choice in uk is culturally we dont have a history of it, so everything bar the vanilla fish was and is shipped to the continent. We are getting better (slowly) but still miles behind France, Spain etc. Put a tray of Fruits de Mare in front of the average brit and they would be repulsed, put in front of a Frenchman they would say wheres the baguette.

Again Ricks Stein is good on this topic (although from 20 years ago), Seafood Odyssey, Fruits and Tate of the sea series especially.

[Jambo85]

theplayingmantis said:

no need for the porcine education
...
when i said costlier, i meant costlier than the real Iberico, i see no reason it couldn't be the same price.

Ah, fair enough. Hopefully my ramblings are helpful to others nevertheless.