La Tienda, the largest online retailer of Spanish foods in the U.S., introduces American-made Cecina, a dry-cured smoked beef created following the ancient traditions of its origin in León, Spain.

Cecina is tender, smoky slices of cured beef with a deep red color that is low in fat and high in protein. Similar to Spanish Jamón, Cecina is always served thinly sliced and at room temperature. As a result of beef restrictions the American market enforced in the 1990s, U.S. consumers have been unable to acquire Spanish-produced Cecina. Beef has not been imported from Spain to the U.S. since 1998.

“It’s important for us to stay true to our mission to offer the best of Spain,” said La Tienda Owner Jonathan Harris. “Cecina is the lesser-known beef version of Serrano ham but worthy of just as much culinary acclaim. When trying to find a solution for how to bring U.S. consumers this delicious meat, the answer was simple: produce it ourselves.”

La Tienda partnered with Warren Pala, a New Jersey based beef-curing expert and owner of Braaitime, a gourmet cured meats company. The meat is 100 percent natural with no nitrates – just beef and salt. It’s cured, salted and oak wood smoked whole as a single cut of beef. La Tienda then slices it fresh in Williamsburg, VA, before shipping it out to customers .

Cecina is best enjoyed by itself with red wine or as a garnish for salads and roasted vegetables. Given that cecina is a lean cut of beef, La Tienda suggests serving with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Cecina is available for purchase at LaTienda.com and ships nationwide.