Jesús - Maestro Cortador

Last week at Brindisa I had the privilege of meeting Jesús González, one of Spain's most respected Maestro Cortadores (Master Carvers). The man from Alburqueque who describes himself as a 'Ham Sommelier', was over to help promote his native Extremadura's acorn fed Ibérico ham 'Dehesa de Extremadura D.O.' which is new to Borough Market.

Jamón is obviously serious business in Spain and so is the carving. To appreciate the intensity of Ibérico ham it should be cut very thinly so it's almost translucent, and slices should be bite sized, ideally between 4-5cm in length and 5-6cm in width. Such precision is in high demand and nowadays there are thousands of professional Cortadores. Jesús, one of the first to turn the profession into an art has been in the game for 29 years, winning numerous national and international accolades for his skill with the blade.

'When I started I was one of only four professional carvers in the country, now they're popping up like mushrooms. It reminds me of when I was a kid, you could turn over a rock and find maybe four scorpions, these days you turn over a rock and find four Cortadores!'

To distinguish themselves, in 2007 Jesús and fellow carvers formed the first national ham carvers association (La Asociación Nacional de Cortadores de Jamón) uniting eleven of Spain's most revered maestros.

An important part of Jesús's work is as official carver and spokesman for the Dehesa de Extremadura D.O. one of four regional Ibérico Ham denominations (Guijuelo, Huelva and Pedroches are the others) which regulates the production of Ibérico ham in this western region of Spain. Any ham bearing the D.O. stamp such as the' Dehesa de Extremadura' Bellota (acorn fed) ham at Brindisa has to meet strict guidelines from start to finish.

Primarily the whole process has to take place in Extremadura. As soon as the piglets are weened they must be fed on a natural cereal diet which is supplemented by their foraging in the Dehesa, the Mediterranean oak forest of West and South Western Spain. When they reach the age of 18 months and a minimum weight of 90kg the fattening up process 'La Montanera' begins. During this period from October to March when the acorns (bellota) are in season, the pigs must increase their weight by at least 60% feeding solely on acorns and natural vegetation. With a minimum slaughter weight of 150kg they need to eat about 3.5kg of acorns for every kg they put on. Each animal should have a hectare or more of forest to rummage in, to provide enough acorns and to give them sufficient excercise. The fact that the Iberian pigs are truly free range is essential to the ham's flavour; by constantly working it's muscles in search of food the pig distributes acorn rich fat evenly throughout it's meat.

Curing the ham is equally rigorous, only sea salt is used as a preservative and the ham must be matured for a minimum of 20 mnths. According to Jesús, what makes Ibérico from Extremadura unique is it's balance of sweet and savoury, which is a product of the climate. With a ham from Jabugo such as 5 Jotas, the flavour is saltier and more savoury because more salt is needed for quicker curation in the hot Andalus climate. Whilst on the other hand a ham such as Joselito from further north in Guijuelo (Salamanca) has a sweeter flavour as less salt is employed in the cooler climate. Extremadura sits between these two regions geographically and climactically achieving a medium (in theory) between the two characteristics.

Finally, I got to taste some. It was superb, sweet and nutty combined with an intense savouriness that coats the roof of your mouth, the all important fat melting beautifully. Quite right that this culmination of years of care and craftsmanship should be carved by a Maesto Cortador!


Dehesa de Extremadura D.O. Ibérico de Bellota £16.50/100g

Brindisa, The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, Borough Market, London SE1
Tel: 020 7407 1036

Australia: Jumbuck's

For Australia it had to be meat pie. A quick google led me to Shepherd's Bush (Antipodean territory) and Jumbuck's Café, a restaurant franchise which is part of a wider wholesale business selling authentic Aussie 'Jaffle' pies to hospitals, pubs and bingo halls. Who is this pretender to Pukka's throne?!!....Jaffle pies get their name from an outback cooking utensil called the 'Jaffle Iron', two circular pans which clamp together, oft-used by jolly swagmen to make toasted sandwiches. This campfire technique was later applied to pie making, the idea being that the iron restricts the rise of the puff pastry, eliminating the fluff between filling and crust.

Jumbuck's offers a variety of Jaffle pies, from chicken korma to steak and Guinness. I chose the 'Chunky Steak Outback' with mash and mushy peas. Pie n' Mash is apparently the closest thing to an Aussie national dish and a legacy (perhaps) of naughty Cockney forefathers. The meal reminded me of school dinners, bisto style gravy (suitable for vegetarians), mushy peas (which were just overcooked garden peas) and ice cream scooped mash. The pie itself wasn't bursting with the advertised 'Chunky' stewing steak. Flecks of mince took me back to uni days and the tinned delights of that mysterious Uruguayan, 'Fray Bentos'. With such a lilliputian interpretation of 'Chunks' my only guess is that they gave me the wrong pie.

This isn't to say I didn't enjoy the tucker somewhat. I was ravenous at the time and for £3.85 it filled a gap and tasted pretty good (in a cheap way). As much as I adore a tenderly homemade steak and kidney, a football or chippie pie is sometimes a guilty pleasure and Jumbuck's falls into this category. I don't quite understand what's so remarkable about the Jaffle's squashed, flying saucer shape, but the queue of colonials in there on a Friday lunchtime all thought it was bonza. An Antipodean Emporium, as well as pies Jumbuck's can also satisfy all your Vegemite, Tim Tam and Cheezel cravings, should they arise.

Jumbuck's The Aussie Pie Co. 24 Shepherds Bush Green, London W12 8PH
Tel: 0208 811 8111

Armenia: Erebuni

It's been a while but the journey continues. Last Wednesday I finally made it to an Armenian joint in Lancaster Gate, 'Erebuni'. I say Armenian, it's owned by Armenians, Edward and Nona Torosiants. Erebuni is more of a Pan-Ex-Soviet restaurant with an extensive menu featuring the CCCP's finest, from the Ukraine to Uzbekistan. Russia dominates proceedings but there are a few Armenian specialities to choose from.

Buried away (like a bunker) below the London Guards Hotel in a quiet residential square just off Hyde Park you'd have no idea it existed, the only indication is a small sign in the hotel reception. Apparently it doubles up as the hotel's restaurant, borscht by night and a full English in the morning, perfect if you've ever dreamt of vodka on your cornflakes. Going down the stairs to Erebuni is a bizarre experience as you descend from what looks like a purely functional flophouse into quite a lavish dining room, decked out in red tablecloths and choc a Eastern Bloc with kitsch.

The visit coincided with a joint Armenian/Georgian birthday party, our arrival rudely interrupting a heartfelt speech about brotherhood between the two nations. Having snuck us to our table the pretty Lithuanian waitress gave us the menus and a buzzer (pictured above), it was like something straight out of a Kiev gentleman's club for when you wanted her to Go-Go get you something. Once we'd plucked up the courage to use it we ordered a selection of the Armenian dishes and a round of vodka and Baltikas (no Armenian beer unfortunately).

Starters included Sekhtorats (fried aubergines with garlic and parsley), Emanbajady (a relish of aubergine, tomatoes, peppers and onion), Basturma (cured beef) and Dolmas. For mains, Shashlyk (lamb shish kebab), Chicken Tapaka (baked butterflied baby chicken with roast potatoes) and Chanaky (in fact Georgian, a tomato based lamb stew baked with potatoes in a clay pot).

Everything was pretty good, the aubergine nicely caramelised, the emanbajady rich and pleasantly spicy. Basturma was interesting but not as complex and beefy as I'd expected, it's maybe to Armenian tastes not to cure it for too long. The dolmas were far bettter than any Greek offering I've tried, bursting with minced lamb and wrapped in fresh tasting vineleaves without the usual acidity. Shashlyk was simply a shish kebab but it was succulent, had that essential charcoal sweetness and was served with fresh lavash bread. The roast chicken was beautifully moist with crisp potatoes and the Chanaky lamb stew suitably hearty (though overpowered a bit by tomato).

It was all very well cooked but there were no new tastes, some of the Russian options on the menu seemed a lot more exciting. I was disappointed because from what I've read Armenian cuisine is vast and varied. The offerings at Erebuni seem like safe bets, they don't serve the national dish for example, 'Harissa' a porridge of wheat and chicken. The Russian focus is understandable given that it's an area of West London full of ex-pats.

In terms of hospitality and atmosphere it was fantastic, with each chink of glasses the party next to us got louder and guests soon accompanied the keyboardist and mournful Armenian flute in songs which cried a thousand tears. Edward the host was obliging with the vodka, offering us a couple of complimentary rounds.

Erebuni's not cheap, particularly for the simple fayre we had. It's well worth a visit though for the whole Eastern experience (especially the buzzer). In the few other reviews I've seen people rave about the Russian food, seemingly it's up there with the best in London.

Erebuni, London Guards Hotel, 36-37 Lancaster Gate, W2 3NA
Tel:020 7402 6067