"A very sweet, gentle cure, as you'd expect from Lidgate's. The Spanish pigs are very happy pigs, and when we get streaky bacon like this we're very happy too." Charles Campion, Great Taste Awards Judge

The Ibérico pig is an indigenous species that is only found in the Iberian peninsula. It is very different from the European white pig. The superb quality of the meat from the Ibérico pig is down to the climate, their freedom to roam outdoors, and their diet. To comply with the very strict Spanish regulations, breeding is only permitted with pure-bred Ibérico sows..

The meat from these pigs contains high levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids, also known as omega-9, are beneficial for our health and are also found in foods like olive oil. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and 6) are essential to human life and have a positive effect on lowering cholesterol levels. The age of the meat (10-18 months) gives it his attractive red colour, which means that its iron content is three to four times higher than that of white pork. It also has a high zinc content and high levels of vitamins B and E.

A small number of pigs are selected to follow a specific diet known as the Montanera diet. Under this regime, the pigs can only eat what nature has to offer during the course of the season (1 October to 15 December). This mainly includes Bellota acorns, aromatic grasses and other local vegetation. During this time, the pigs must roam freely in the open air for at least 60 days and must reach a weight of 46 kg before their meat can be given the designation ‘Bellota’. To gain 1 kg of weight, a pig has to eat an average of 10-15 kg of acorns. Each oak tree yields between 8 and 20 kg of acorns, so each Ibérico pig needs between one and two hectares of land. The acorns the pigs eat are what gives the meat its wonderfully full, nutty flavour.

Available in Packs of 2 x 210g chops (minimum pack weight 400g)

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