Back Me Up, Here...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're cruising around Napa Valley and you encounter this...
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| Jamon Iberico de Bellota | Dominic Armato |
...you really have no choice but to do this...
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| Purchased from Dean & Deluca | Dominic Armato |
...so you can seize the rare opportunity to enjoy this...
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| Fifteen Dollars, Three Slices | Dominic Armato |
...am I right?
Almost made up for the fact that we missed both Paul Bocuse and Daniel Boulud at Bouchon by a couple of hours. Almost.
Still traveling. Power rankings soon. And a massive backlog of vacation eating.
i did the same thing a few weeks ago, my co-workers thought i was crazy till i let them try a "little" bit.
Posted by: HillBoyJr. | January 06, 2009 at 07:51 AM
Never heard of it...the picture looks fantastic. I assume the taste follows suit...
Posted by: Mann of Sandd | January 06, 2009 at 08:47 AM
I didn't know you could find bellota legally in the US at all! That's amazingly fantastic (and pricey). I've only ever had the chance to nibble on the standard ibérico and it was out of this world. I wonder if the Dean and DeLuca in DC has it?
Posted by: Wangus | January 06, 2009 at 09:34 AM
Yeah, it's finally available here, though -- as you can see -- absurdly expensive. I think they started arriving this past summer. I believe (don't quote me on this) that one producer built a special facility in Spain that allowed them to finally get approval from the USDA for import. I actually had a chance to try a little in Hong Kong about a year and a half ago. They had it mounted on the carving rack and were slicing by hand, which is a lot better than the prosciutto-style machine slices, I think... but this was still pretty outstanding.
The woman working the counter told me there's some guy who comes in on a semi-regular basis and buys half a pound at a time.
Would be nice :-)
Posted by: Skillet Doux | January 06, 2009 at 09:40 AM
Yes! My local (Los Angeles) cheese store got a shipment for $90 per pound. I bought four slices for $10. It was heavenly. I held it in my mouth until the fat just melted away. I feel I got my money's worth.
Posted by: Sku | January 06, 2009 at 09:45 AM
Worth every penny at that price, but I've seen it on the east coast in the $90 - 100 range.... Now I have to go get some.
Posted by: Jay | January 07, 2009 at 04:49 AM
Sku --
Which cheese shop in LA? Silverlake?
Posted by: Jennifer | January 08, 2009 at 12:38 AM
Drat, now I have to get this the next time I'm back east at D&D :-).
Posted by: Allison | January 08, 2009 at 09:08 AM
Yes, Jennifer, Cheese Store of Silverlake.
Posted by: Sku | January 09, 2009 at 11:11 AM
It's been in the states since christmas '07 and is usually $100 a pound. It's not nearly as good as what you get in spain but is still pretty fantastic. I like to just let the fat melt on my tongue.
Posted by: Meg | January 12, 2009 at 11:28 AM