Jamón de Recebo - Glosario Enrique Tomás

Recebo Ham

Recebo is the name given previously to the ham produced by pigs that had made the Montanera season but had not reached the minimum weight required to carry the classification ‘de Bellota’.

Currently, the legislation regulating the production of Iberian Ham has changed the name of this type of product to “Cebo de Campo”. What we used to know as “jamón de recebo” is now called “cebo de campo” Iberian ham and we can place it with the green seal.

Recebo Ham

During the Montanera, a period between October and March when the Iberian pigs feed freely in the pastureland. The pigs must fatten approximately 50% of their weight so that, before being slaughtered, they weigh between 170 and 180 kg. Pigs that do not reach these figures cannot therefore be considered ‘acorn-fed’ (bellota).

Thus, they are fed with feed and cereals until the minimum weight required for slaughter is reached. This is where the name “cebo de campo” comes from and although it used to be called “recebo”, now the Iberian ham regulations include it among its three types: bellota, cebo de campo and cebo.

Infografía Jamón de Cebo de Campo - Enrique Tomás

In order to be considered as Cebo de Campo, the animal must spend at least the last 60 days of its breeding in the pastureland. Although we used to be able to find hams labelled Iberico de Bellota Ham from pigs that had reached the right weigh by feeding back with feed, now the law allows us to identify and sell these with their own characteristics.

Both the Cebo de Campo Hams and ham shoulders are in a medium quality state between the Iberico de Cebo ham and the Iberico Bellota ham. Among these types of hams we can find three types according to the purity of the pig’s breed:

100% Iberico de Cebo de Campo
75% Iberico de Cebo de Campo
50% Iberico de Cebo de Campo

As regards the identification seal, this type of ham must be identified by the green label which, according to the rules, will only be used on hams and ham shoulders that come from pigs fed on natural grass, herbs, acorns and feed, irrespective of their percentage of breed.