Señorío de Montanera 100% Ibérico Bellota Panceta Salada

This cured meat takes the traditional peppery, herby goodness of the Italian pancetta-making process and enhances it with the natural nutty flavor of fatty, acorn-fed Iberian pata negra. This breed of pig imparts the incredible creaminess and luxurious smoothness of its intramuscular fat to the 4-week hickory-style smoking of Spanish panceta salada.

This type of bacon-like meat can be eaten as it is or cut into stews and other slow-cooked dishes to intensify its rich flavors. It goes very well in classic carbonara, salads of pear and goat cheese, or chopped and seared to go with creamy fresh scallops, lentils, and mushrooms. Any dish with traditional bacon in it? Try panceta salada instead!

This cured meat will go well with Sangiovese, Chianti, or Pinot Grigio. You can also try it, similarly, with a young Chablis or a crisp Picpoul de Pinet. For the beer drinkers in the room, the salt in this meat goes nicely with the rich, chocolatey taste of a wintertime stout.

Currently, Señorío de Montanera is comprised of 75 livestock partners caring for Iberian black pigs in the dehesas of Extremadura and Andalusia, as well as 16 collaborators in the dehesas of Alentejo in Portugal. Their livestock legacy spans generations, and they are concerned with preserving both the famed Iberian black pig and the dehesas these animals live in. Their products are patently artisanal, based both on the quality of their meat products and the expert care and handling of them.

Vacuum-sealed packs of hand-carved cured meats can last up to five months in the refrigerator (never the freezer). Once the pack is opened, they’re best enjoyed within the day.