Jamon iberico de bellota is the canonical Spanish cured ham: black-hoof pigs fattened on Extremadura acorns, salt-cured and air-dried for 36+ months, sliced paper-thin at the bar.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
The Iberian black-hoof pig has roamed the dehesa oak savannahs of southwest Spain since pre-Roman times. The canonical bellota grade requires three months of acorn-feeding (Sep-Feb), bringing the fat content high and the meat depth. Catalan bars serve Iberico cut by hand from a wooden jamonero stand; the muscle slices are 1mm thin. In Barcelona, Cerveseria Catalana, Sagardi and Casa Amalia all run the canonical 24 euro plate of hand-cut Iberico de bellota. The slicer is the trick: a long thin knife is run along the bone, the slice falling onto the plate fat-side up, served at room temperature with crusty bread.
Tip from the editors. Iberico must be served at room temperature, never cold. Acorn-fed bellota is the top grade; the lower grades are cebo de campo or cebo. Read the label.
Cerveseria Catalana in Barcelona's Eixample is the all-day tapas counter where every plate sits on the bar in glass cases. Order by pointing at sight.
Signature: Patatas bravas, Pulpo a la gallega
Order: The patatas bravas, the pulpo, the seared foie montadito.
Tip: No reservations; queue forms at 13:00. Get there at 12:30 for a counter seat or skip to 16:30 service.
Sagardi in Barcelona's Born is the Basque pintxos chain with a charcoal-fired txuleta room in the back: order pintxos by toothpick, count at the end.
Signature: Txuleta steak, Pintxos counter
Order: Six pintxos at the bar, then a shared txuleta in the back.
Tip: No reservations for pintxos. The grill room books out Fri-Sat.
Cal Pep in Barcelona's Born has run the same standing counter since 1977: tortilla del bacallà, baby clams with ham, fried gambes, all called out by Pep.
Signature: Tortilla del bacallà, Cloïsses amb pernil
Order: The tortilla del bacallà and the clams with ham, with a glass of cava.
Tip: No reservations. Be at the door at 13:00 or 19:30 if you want a counter seat in the first turn.
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