Jamón tasting in Joselito Jamón

Joselito Jamón: Rated as one of the best in the world

Described as the best jamón ibérico de bellota in the world, Joselito jamón is served in the majority of the world’s two and three Michelin-starred restaurants.

The most respected chefs promote Joselito jamón, including Ferran Adrià, Juan Mari Arzak, Andoni Luis Aduritz, Heston Blumenthal, and Joel Robuchon.

 

The company background

What makes Joselito jamón such a standout?

From the west of Spain in Salamanca, the Joselito family has been in the jamón business for over a hundred years and they are now well into their fifth generation of professionals in the family business.

Each generation strives to work towards the same goal: to produce the best cured ham in the world.

 

The Jamón Process

Joselito oversees the complete cycle from beginning to end, starting from the breeding farms where the Iberian pigs roam for two years of their lives throughout the property’s three hectares of holm and cork oak forest pastures to feed on grass and acorns.

After the slaughter, the jamón is then lightly salted and hung in drying sheds during the winter months. The salt slowly penetrates throughout the meat and drives out the moisture.

During spring and summer, the jamón sweats and the fat melts. The melted fat penetrates the muscular fibers of the meat.

When autumn arrives, the jamónes are placed in natural underground cellars to age in climate controlled conditions. This is where the rich, complex flavors develop over years of curing.

Finally, the rigorous selection process chooses the finest jamón that has it all: taste, smell, the looks, and texture.

And that is how Joselito jamón stands out – the nature of the breed, the natural diet, their ability to roam which results in the marbling of the intramuscular fat, the processing, and the selection. Joselito products all consistently meltingly soft and intensely flavored.

 

Joselito’s in Madrid

While in Madrid, you can taste Joselito jamón directly from their two shops, both called Joselito’s, in the Salamanca neighborhood (address and information at the bottom of the post).

Joselito’s are the retail and tasting outlets. The stores sell their pre-packaged products as well as hand-sliced charcuterie. You can also sample slices at the tasting bar or dine in with their full menu featuring cuts of jamón in every dish.

Jamón tasting in Joselito’s is the best way to learn about the jamón and why it is one of the best rated in the world.

Click here for TripAdvisor reviews and photos of Joselito in Salamanca
 

Foodicles Joselito 1
Joselito’s Velázquez. One of their two stores in Madrid which are both located in the posh Salamanca neighborhood. This particular location has a tasting bar and tables to dine in for a taste of jamón or a full meal. Additionally, the downstairs space hosts events and private dinners
Foodicles Joselito 2
The store offers pre-packaged products or your choice of charcuterie to be hand-sliced on the premises. The benefit of going to the Joselito stores is the chance to taste the different ages of jamón before buying a larger amount for take-away
Foodicles Joselito 3
Dining in the store. Upon sitting down, diners are treated to an amuse bouche of a shot of gazpacho. This cold, refreshing drink opens up your appetite and cleanses your palate for the jamón experience ahead
Foodicles Joselito 4
Caesar Salad with Jamón. Of course, everything in the menu includes their jamón. The salad balances the meat intake. Then again, it comes with crisp jamón and slices of beef, which brilliantly adds to the taste of an ordinary caesar salad
Foodicles Joselito 5
Jamón tasting. In the store, you can sample jamón from 2010, 2011, 2012 – the age of the curing. You can sample all in one platter as a trilogy, or have a half or whole order of each year
Foodicles Joselito 6
Vintage 2010. Each jamón order comes with a description of that particular year’s characteristics. It is well-worth paying for a half or whole order of the oldest vintage available
Foodicles Joselito 7
Sampling the rest of their products. Jamón, panceta, chorizo, lomo, presa, and salchichón. After the jamón sampling and then this, you will be completely set and know the tastes of Joselito’s current products
Foodicles Joselito 8
Spaghetti Lardo Joselito. If you want to eat more, you can order from the selection of entrees, including pasta, rice dishes, and meats. And for a real heart stopper, this bowl of spaghetti will surely satisfy your fatty cravings. This is definitely a shareable order to lessen the guilt of the bursting bites of lardo

 

Joselito’s Velázquez | Website | TripAdvisor
Calle Velázquez 30
Salamanca
Madrid, Spain
+34-917-274-762
10am to 11pm
Closed Sundays

Joselito’s Narváez | Website
Calle Narváez 5
Salamanca
Madrid, Spain
+34-915-751-080
10am to 10pm
Closed Sundays

 


 
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