Los Pedroches
Also known as: Jamón de Los Pedroches, Los Pedroches ham, Jamón Los Pedroches
Los Pedroches is a Spanish PDO for hams and shoulders of 100% Iberian pigs fattened in the dehesas of northern Córdoba; hams are aged at least two years, shoulders one.
Los Pedroches (also Los Pedroches ham, Jamón de Los Pedroches) is a Spanish PDO for hams and shoulders of 100% Iberian pigs fattened in the dehesas of northern Córdoba province, Andalusia. Fattening, slaughter and curing all take place inside the zone. There are two classes: bellota 100% ibérico and cebo de campo 100% ibérico. Hams age at least two years, shoulders one.
The local dehesa has an ace up its sleeve: the quejigo oak (Quercus faginea). Its acorns, the specification says, ripen about 20 days earlier than those of other oaks, so the montanera can start in late October and run into early March.
Only 100% Iberian pigs qualify. Bellota pigs graze at no more than 1 head per hectare and must gain at least 51.75 kg on acorns and grass alone over 60 days or more; slaughter runs from 15 December to 31 March, at 14 months or older. Cebo de campo pigs roam the dehesa at up to 12 per hectare and get a daily controlled ration of cereals and legumes made in the zone.
The legs are chilled for 24–48 hours at 1–4 °C, then salted with common and nitrifying salt at 0.7–1.2 days per kilo. After washing, the salt spreads for 30–90 days at 0–6 °C. Next come six months to a year of drying in sheds with opening windows, and ageing in a natural cellar. The minimum from the start is 2 years for a ham, 1 year for a shoulder.
The zone covers 25 municipalities of northern Córdoba plus the parts above 300 m of seven more: 8,097 km² in all, at an average altitude of about 700 m. By the specification's count, it holds about 300,000 ha of oak dehesa, a tenth of the national 3 million ha.
The ham is long and slender, V-cut, with the hoof on. Colour runs from pink to purple-red, the taste is dry, lightly salty or sweetish, and the aroma intense, with toasted and nutty notes. The fat, according to the specification, melts at a lower temperature than other animal fats.
Unlike Jabugo, it also has a cebo de campo class; unlike Guijuelo, it takes only 100% Iberian pigs. It shares its two classes with Dehesa de Extremadura.
Look for a black seal with «Bellota 100% Ibérico» or a green one with «Cebo de Campo 100% Ibérico». A numbered back label from the regulatory council states the cut, breed and feeding, and the number matches the seal fixed at slaughter. A ham weighs at least 5.75 kg, a shoulder 3.7 kg. The page Jamón ibérico explains how to read such a label, and How to carve jamón covers the knife work.
Why this matters to you: in 2023, according to MAPA, 35,246 of the 47,151 hams marked were bellota and the rest cebo de campo. A green seal next to the name Los Pedroches is perfectly legal; it simply means a different diet.
Facts
| Animal | 100% Iberian pig |
|---|---|
| Cut | Ham and shoulder, V-cut only |
| Curing | Common and nitrifying salt 0.7–1.2 days/kg, post-salting 30–90 days, natural drying, cellar |
| Minimum maturation | 2 years (ham), 1 year (shoulder) from the start of production |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Northern Córdoba province (Andalusia), 8,097 km², about 700 m |
| Registered | PDO; specification in force since 05.05.2023 |
How it connects to Cured meats & charcuterie
Los Pedroches → then → Curing of meat → kind of → 🥓 Cured meats & charcuterie
Links
- Next step
- Curing of meat
- Made from
- Iberian pig
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Spaniards
- Part of
- Jamón ibérico
- Similar and different
- Jabugo
Frequently asked questions
What is Los Pedroches ham?
A Spanish PDO for hams and shoulders of 100% Iberian pigs from the dehesas of northern Córdoba. Hams age at least 2 years, shoulders 1 year.
Where is Los Pedroches ham made?
In 25 municipalities of northern Córdoba province, Andalusia, and the parts above 300 m of seven more; the zone covers 8,097 km² at about 700 m on average.
How much weight must a Los Pedroches pig gain on acorns?
A bellota pig must gain at least 51.75 kg on acorns and grass alone over 60 days or more, at no more than 1 head per hectare.
What is the difference between Los Pedroches and Jabugo?
Both take only 100% Iberian pigs, but Jabugo is acorn-fed only, while Los Pedroches also has a cebo de campo class with a green seal.
Is it true that Los Pedroches ham is always acorn-fed?
No. There are two classes: bellota with a black seal and cebo de campo with a green seal, where pigs get a daily controlled ration of cereals and legumes.
What to read next
- Iberian pig — The Iberian pig is a native breed of the Iberian Peninsula with five varieties, tied to the dehesa of south-west Spain and Portugal; it is the animal behind jamón ibérico.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Spaniards — The people of Spain; flamenco, human towers, Fallas, the world's largest vineyards and over a third of the world's olive oil.
- Curing of meat — Curing of meat is treatment with salt, often with nitrite, applied dry, as brine or by injection: salt binds water and, together with drying, makes meat suitable for long keeping.
Similar
Guijuelo · Dehesa de Extremadura · Jamón serrano · Jamón de Teruel · Jamón de Trevélez · Jabugo
ℹ️ IARC (WHO) classes processed meat in Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans): each 50 g eaten daily raises colorectal cancer risk by about 18 %. Eat it in moderation.