The Edwards family of Edwards Virginia Smokehouse is pleased to announce their partnership with the Harris family of La Tienda to introduce a new ham to the consumer market: Surryano Iberico Ham. Known as one of the finest ancient pork breeds in the world, Iberico pigs originated in Spain and were first flown to the United States in 2015, bringing a hearty, antioxidant rich, marbled pork product to the US market. La Tienda, headquartered in Williamsburg, VA, is the industry leader of Iberico and other gourmet items from Spain.
A dual effort between these two, long-standing family businesses, Edwards utilized the Harris family’s premium Texas Iberico pork to craft the dry-cured Surryano Iberico Ham. The Harris family partnered with a ranching family from Comfort, TX to form the Texas Iberico brand in 2018. Edwards Virginia Smokehouse applies their time-honored expertise and traditional methods of salting, smoking, and aging to present a long-aged product that affirms American charcuterie is stronger in quality than ever.
“Our goal is to produce the best possible American-made dry-cured ham. Since the Texas Iberico fresh pork is from stock with a truly rich and unique flavor profile, we are expecting our customers to recognize how special this product is when they taste it for the first time,” says Sam Edwards, third-generation owner of Edwards Virginia Smokehouse. “Producing hams is similar to producing wine. The varietal, location, and method of how grapes are grown are crucial, but then the vintner must take those grapes and apply their sense of taste, smell, eyesight, and knowledge to create the best wine. Similarly, a great ham cannot be made without starting with the best ingredients. The cure-master will then apply knowledge, experience, and terroir to make the best possible product.”
The Surryano Iberico Ham offers a rich flavor profile with buttery tasting notes, born from the pure-bred Texas Iberico pigs that thrive in outdoor environments where they forage for acorns, sweet mesquite beans, and prickly pear fruit. All hams are antibiotic free, free-range, and pasture raised on a 1,500-acre ranch in Menard, TX. Once the processing phase with Edwards begins, the ham is cured for thirty days, smoked with hickory wood for seven days, and aged for a minimum of 400+ days.
Available for purchase starting September 15, 2020 at $550 per ham, customers can purchase the Bone-In Surryano Iberico for shipment and delivery online at www.edwardsvaham.com. The Boneless and Sliced versions are planned to be made available early 2021.
Source: Edwards Virginia Smokehouse
