I didn’t take a photo, I just put it under my nose and then in my mouth. Buttery and oily in my palm, it certainly looked the part, marbly dark red with glossy white fat bits. It smelt rich and oily, but not the sickening smell you get from some joint that doesn’t change the oil in the deep fryer. No, it was a very pleasant note that seemed woodsy.
In the mouth and woah. I just got into the mastication process and this old lady next to me asks if its any good. Awkwardly covering my mouth, I mumbled “Oh its amazing!” half a minute later as I swallowed and felt it slip down my throat. The first sliver was superbly rich, mushroomy, earthy and nutty. Very nutty. Like if you took a packet of nuts and squeezed them with a press, dripping oil all over the meat but it got absorbed into the flesh. This pig definitely had acorns or some kinda nut at some point in his/her life. The second sliver, of my sample which broke into two bits, was enjoyed for a minute or so, possibly an hour. I can’t remember how long but I remember what it tastes like.
The flavor lasted quite a good while. The oleic acids from the oil were very distinct and even a couple hours later, I could still feel a mildly tannic effect on the roof of my mouth and faint whispers of that marvellous sweetness. Salty didn’t get a look in.
Just so you know, I bought 2 types of Jamon Iberico de Bellota. One is the Joselito Gran Reserva from Terry Wright and the other is 5J from Simon Johnson. The Gran Reserva is cured for at least 2 years and I believe it’s the Paleta or shoulder cut instead of the leg I got. Joselito’s Gran Reserva leg is what Ferran Adria et al like to use and this isn’t available in Sydney. The Cinco Jotas, is so named because the producer kept winning titles until they decided to let them use the title as their name. This one is the leg and I haven’t sampled it yet. One costs double the other. Hahaha. I figured I’d splash the cash since I’m having 2 weeks paid holiday anyway. You only live twice.
A newish food processing technology, High Pressure Pasteurization, uses extreme pressure to knock out bacteria, whilst retaining the texture, color and flavor of the food. The process works by applying a huge amount of isostatic or hydrostatic pressure, which works all around, meaning the food is at the same pressure inside and outside, which is how it doesn’t get squashed to bits. Smaller molecules remain unaffected by the pressure but larger things, like bacteria get vital functions knocked out of them. The biggest plus is its all done with little to no heat necessary. Which definitely helps retain the original character of the product.
I first learned of this from a triangular wedge shaped container of juice at Woolies, branded as Preshafruit. I got the Valencia Orange, which tasted pretty bright and strong. Unaddled by anything else and not heat treated either, it was just pure OJ goodness. Pricier than the rest of the shelf but better. You could tell from the pulp, which seemed burstier than usual. I have to say though, better is marginal at the end of the day. Heat treated or reconstituted juice is ok too you know. I simply think the difference in flavor versus the current price is negligible. That said, I think HPP and fruit/juice has massive potential to be the next new health faddy type thing. Also, I’m sure if it manages to reach more widespread appeal, the price will lower as well.
Another interesting thing is that HPP could well make formerly “unsafe” foods from Europe exportable. Stuff like foie gras or jamon. Not cheese perhaps, since it’d kill the helpful, flavor enhancing bacteria. But it could possibly act as a sort of control mechanism that stops the need to overcook something because of the bacteria present. Which is interesting. You could apply it to eggs, and use it raw safely. Which would make a tiramisu safe even according to the traditional method. Or you could use it on Brie at its peak and have that runny consistency and earthy flavor for a bit longer than normal. So it could be like the stop light for perfectly matured cheese or something.
Its not a cooking method since it cooks nothing but its sort of like a brake pedal or a magic wand that kills bacteria and you don’t need to compromise the otherwise undercooked texture or flavor of something.
