IBERIAN ACORN-FED MORCON

The Encina Don Alberto Iberian morcón is a traditional sausage from the Sierra de Huelva region, made from free-range pigs that are fed on acorns in the meadows of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park.

Prices of Iberian pork morcón.

The prices of Iberian morcón can vary depending on the type of meats used in its production. At Encina Don Alberto, we make artisanal acorn-fed morcón using lean meat and pieces of Iberian ham and shoulder.

What is Iberian morcón?

Iberian morcón is a sausage made from diced pork meat seasoned with paprika, garlic, and salt. This mixture is stuffed into natural casings made from the large intestine of the pig and allowed to cure for the necessary time depending on its size.

Depending on the types of meat that accompany the lean pork, different types of morcón can be found.

Which Iberian morcón should I buy?

We should consider two parameters when buying a good morcón; quality and typology. The quality is determined by the feeding, upbringing, and breed of the pig, and the typology by the part of the animal from which the meat has been extracted for the production.

Acorn-fed morcón.

The highest quality morcón is obtained when it comes from meat of Iberian pigs fattened with acorns during the montanera season. Additionally, this acorn-fed Iberian morcón is very healthy because the pigs are raised in free-range conditions, and their flavor is infused with the pasture of the dehesa.

In general, all Iberian cured sausages reach their best version when produced with acorn-fed meat from free-range animals.

When morcón comes from pigs fattened in farms with feed, it is called “morcón de cebo” or “feed-fed morcón”.

Loin, shoulder or ham morcón.

The morcón can be of various types depending on whether the lean meat is accompanied by other parts of the pork or not. We can talk about morcón de chorizo when the sausage only contains minced lean meat. However, the traditional lean meat can be enhanced with trimmings of noble pork cuts such as loin, shoulder, or in the best case, with pieces of shoulder or ham, which are extracted from the tip of the ham when giving it its characteristic elongated shape. Therefore, we have the following types of morcón:

• Morcón de chorizo
• Morcón de lomo
• Morcón de presa
• Morcón de jamón

The Encina Don Alberto Iberian morcón corresponds to the latter; morcón de jamón, and it comes from purebred Iberian pigs that are free-range and fed with acorns in the dehesa.

Another important aspect to consider is the curing process. Typically, higher-quality morcones, such as those made from acorn-fed Iberian pork, require a longer curing period because the lean meat is juicier and needs more time to eliminate moisture.

These premium morcones are cured in natural drying rooms, allowing the sausage to acquire the typical bouquet of the mountain air.

Difference between chorizo and pork morcón.

Although the ingredients and the production process of Iberian morcón and chorizo are practically identical, there are some differences highly valued by the most discerning cuisines. Morcón is stuffed into blind intestine, while chorizo is stuffed into cular or fibrán intestine. This detail requires longer curing for morcón, and as a result of this extended aging, the flavor of the sausage is enhanced.

In summary, Iberian morcón is an authentic delicacy of Iberian gastronomy, with an unmatched flavor that deserves to be tasted by anyone seeking unique culinary experiences.