We're here today at Viale dei Romani.
I'm probably butchering that, do you wanna try?
Viale dei Romani?
Probably.
Like that?
Yeah, that sounds good.
So we're here to try some of
the most expensive ham in Los Angeles.
And I texted Caroline last night,
and I was like, "Do you want to come with me?
Eat this really expensive ham?"
And she goes, "OK," exclamation point.
Sydney: So what do you know about Ibérico ham?
Caroline: I actually don't know anything
about this ham.
I never associated ham with a really expensive price tag.
So I don't know.
I'm all in.
I'm ready to be surprised.
I'm expecting it to taste way better than
my store-bought ham.
Sydney: So let's go inside.
Let's find out.
Let's eat some of the most expensive ham
we've ever had in our entire lives.
Yes!
Let's go!
Sydney: Oops, sorry.
So the Ibérico is a kind of legendary ham out of Spain.
We receive ours from a company called Cinco Jotas.
That means five areas.
It's the five different places that they farm the pigs,
and that have been very, like, traditionally great areas.
So they kind of bought up certain properties in each
and then have raised the pata negra, or the black foot pig,
that is the one used for the jamón Ibérico
probably going on 75 years at this point.
Acorns are the main diet,
which give the ham its nutty flavor
and also its fat profile.
We've been really, really happy with the quality of the ham.
They are really about the third importer
who have been allowed into the country.
For us, it's around $800 to $1,000 a leg.
It's relative to just the market, really, at the time.
The price can fluctuate up and down all year long,
and then we sell it for $30 an ounce.
It is such a prized ham and so expensive
basically because of its rarity
and how much the Spanish people themselves love it.
Not a lot of it gets exported.
Even in Spain, the absolute top farms
that wouldn't get through the FDA approvals
and whatnot to get into the country.
They're purchased years in advance
by families who just have a standing order for a ham.
Sydney, how many pounds do you think this is?
Well, he said 17 kilos,
and I have no idea what that means in pounds.
At all.
Translate that to...
Yeah, if you look right here,
that's how much 17 kilos is in pounds.
We have a spectator. - Yeah.
Both: Everyone is watching...
Us cut this ham, hog, pig up.
Diner: I mean, I was hoping you needed
to serve it to someone soon.
Diner: Me.
Eventually, stick around a little bit longer.
Well, I've never had cured ham before.
Sydney: Yes, you have.
Caroline: When?
Prosciutto?
Oh, yes, OK.
Nevermind.
And bacon could be...
I guess I never thought of it, that it was cured.
Yeah, "cured" just means "aged in salt," basically.
OK.
So the curing process for the Ibérico is
much like all other hams.
It's really just salt and time.
That is it.
They pack the ham in salt.
They then rub it down with a mixture
of rice flour and some of the kidney fat
as a protective layer for the outside of the ham,
and that allows it to dry very, very slowly,
and the flavor of the ham is quite nutty,
once again because of the acorn
and also just the dehydration of the ham.
Right? When your diet is just one thing,
and then I just start stripping out
all of the water over time with
the curing process and the salt,
then you basically end up tasting like a really,
really intense flavor of what that animal ate,
which was acorns.
Let's eat because... - Here you go...
I'm really hungry. Although there is also lasagna.
Caroline: Oh, my gosh, this is why we're here
at an Italian restaurant:
to eat hogs and lasagna.
Sydney: All right, let's go.
Cool!
Sydney: Follow me.
Caroline: OK, OK.
Ham.
Oh.
Ham.
Oh, ham.
Oooh.
It is so delicate.
Wow.
This is like the perfect addition to
everything else that we have on this table.
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow. - Wow.
Wow! - Yes!
We came here thinking we were gonna
get some ham,
and we have this entire feast in front of us,
which is really exciting.
It is a feast!
What do we have? We have...
Lasagna!
We have... - Pizza!
We have...
Salad! - We have...
Ham!
Together: Ham.
Whenever I was thinking "ham,"
I was thinking the cartoon hams
that they would have at the table,
and it would be this big, and we like...
Nothing wrong with that.
There's nothing wrong with that.
No, but I feel like...
But it's definitely not this
luxurious, fatty, nutty, Spanish ham, Ibérico.
Ah.
All my fancy food experiences come from her.
This is an exciting day on the job, yet again.
Stick with me.
Yes. What do we try first?
Do we try the ham first?
Obviously we try the ham first.
OK.
Then we dig into everything else.
Muddle our mouths with the other stuff,
we wanna get in with the good stuff first.
Let's get to it!
It's like butter.
Mm hmm.
It's not as salty as I thought it would be.
It's just rich.
Mm.
Very nutty.
Mm hmm.
This is so good.
It almost has a browned-butter flavor with the fat,
which is delicious.
It gets nuttier on the finish, I think?
And the fat helps, like, cut through
the saltiness of the meat.
Definitely. I agree.
It's all delicious.
It was so good.
I'm ready for another bite.
I think we need a glass of wine.
Yeah.
I could just sit, like, by a pool and have
a gin and tonic and Ibérico ham until I die.
That's, I think, the perfect Sunday afternoon for me.
Yeah.
On top of other things, you know, but...
Yeah.
The ham and the gin and tonic are very important
in this Sunday afternoon situation.
Caroline: What a great day!
This is good.
Sydney: Should we eat some other stuff?
Caroline: Um, yeah, the 100-layer lasagna.
This is what Caroline really came here for.
All the carbs.
OK.
Let's do it.
Mm hmm.
Shut up.
Yay!
We both found something that we really love.
Pure, roasted garlic.
You love the garlic.
You go for that.
Pizza?
Now get the ham tattooed.
I'll get the ham.
Oh, pizza!
Mm.
It's actually really great.
And then if you want more dough,
you have the crust to work with,
which is awesome.
Yeah, it's like a fancy dollar slice.
Yeah.
It's the best, right? - It really is.
Mm! - Don't say I never
took you anywhere nice.
Cheers!
Arrivederci!