Good Taste
A prince of a pig You are greeted at Amada, the Spanish tapas shrine, by the statue of a pointy-snouted black pig, the legendary pata negra (black-foot) from which the equally legendary, air-cured jamón ibérico is derived. Not until last month, though, wa
A prince of a pig
You are greeted at Amada, the Spanish tapas shrine, by the statue of a pointy-snouted black pig, the legendary pata negra (black-foot) from which the equally legendary, air-cured
jamón ibérico
is derived. Not until last month, though, was the ham on the menu. Each silky slice is announced by a parmesan-esque aroma and rimmed with a creamy ribbon of fat, the ham itself meltingly tender, sweetly salty, and buttery on the tongue with a nut-oil finish. It is farm-raised; not the dearer, acorn-foraging
bellota
variety of the pig. But act now; each time we check it costs more.
Jamon Iberico, 11/4 ounces (about seven paper-thin slices), $20, Amada, 217 Chestnut St., 215-625-2450
.
- Rick Nichols