FSR November 2022

NOW SERVING CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S

includes hand-cut slices of jamón ibérico (back leg), lomo (cured pork loin), and chorizo (fermented, cured, and smoked sausage) from their jamón bar. “The cuts are sliced and sold by ounce just like they do in Spain,” says chef Juan Garrido. “Paired with manchego cheese and picos (small bread sticks), they’re one of the most popular snacks to enjoy throughout the day.” But sliced isn’t the only way to go. “Pork is an easy vessel for creativity,” says Stephan VanHeulen, chef de cui sine at MDRD in Grand Rapids, Michi gan. “Spaniards are infatuated with any thing coming from a pig now. For a good reason, too, as they have some of the best pork in the world.” At MDRD, they take the traditional croquetas de jamón and elevate them with a membrillo (quince) aioli and man chego cheese sauce. The main course While cured pork is typically used for tapas and appetizers, jamón is also a fre quent star of the entrée menu. Pork’s high fat content means that it holds up to being prepared in countless different ways, from braising to grilling to frying and beyond. “One of my favorite ways is to mari nate the pork over a long period of time before grilling,” Garrido says. “This gives it that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. It’s also really tasty grilledwith just some light seasoning.” Tropezón and MDRD both serve a special cut called “secreto Ibérico,” an extremely tender, highly prized cut from the shoulder. Both preparations take advantage of the cut’s fat marbling to provide an extra boost of flavor with out needing to season excessively. At MDRD, chefs dress it up with romesco, black figs, and an arugula and pea shoot salad, while Tropezón opts for a simple presentation: a quick hit on the grill and served with mojo rojo and verde sauces. Supporting roles The laborious process through which jamón ibérico is made—the cut side of the meat is sealed with sea salt from the

THE TORREZNOS AT TROPEZÓN FEATURE PORK BELLY FRIED IN A SIGNATURE SPICE.

JULIAN COUSINS

Atlantic, while the rest is protected by a thick layer of acorn-induced fat, allowing it to ferment—produces a concentrated umami flavor that can also be applied as a seasoning element or accompaniment to other ingredients. Chef Arndt at Broma uses jamón ibérico to add depth to broths and stocks and to fortify her sauces. At MDRD, the team includes dehydrated jamón serrano in its pan-seared scallops, bringing a tex tural play on surf-and-turf. And at Trope zón, chorizo, the famous spicy pork sau sage, brings a bit of bite to the duck paella. “Pork is used as one of the most essen tial ingredients in any dish,” Garrido says, noting the wide range of flavors it can bring to a menu. A trendy tradition Many segments of the food world are constantly trying to push forward, incorporating molecular gastronomy or unusual fusions into their dishes, always on the hunt for the next thing. But Arndt

sees the next innovation of Spanish cui sine as a return to the past. “While America is a relatively young country, Spain is deeply ingrained with butchery and meat preservation in ways that all of us in the U.S. wish we could fully understand and experience,” she says. “Over the last decade or so, chefs have become fascinated with the ‘whys’ and ‘where froms.’ I would say it was spawned from the push for things to be farm-to-table, but a really great restau rant doesn’t need to call itself farm-to table anymore—it just is.” So could U.S.-raised jamón ever com pete with the real thing? Maybe for the casual diner, but most chefs are con vinced that Spanish pork—and its cen tral role in the cuisine—aren’t going any where. Perhaps Arndt sums it up best when, reflecting on the fierce pride with which Spain protects its most famous ingredient, she says, “When I think about that, it reaffirms just how special this piggy is.”

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