Topping Jamón Ibérico With Caviar Is The Ultimate Ham And Eggs Combo

When it comes to breakfast combinations, one of the classics is ham and eggs. It can be served in various ways, from a simple ham steak topped with over-easy eggs to a delicious breakfast sandwich. While you could use basic deli ham and store-bought eggs for this filling breakfast treat, honey-baked ham and fertile farm-fresh eggs take it up a notch. But if you really want to impress your friends and family at your next brunch, why not go all out and grab some Spanish Ibérico jamón and a spoonful of caviar?

This perfect bite is luxury at its finest. It may not be the filling entrée we're used to, but it's pure decadence and a wonderful way to start any meal from breakfast to dinner. Christopher Dennis, the chef de cuisine at Yaamava' Resort's Pines Modern Steakhouse, tells us that this bite is actually a traditional dish in Spain. "It's referred to as an Ibérico Spanish taco. So, Spanish Ibérico with caviar, and you pick it up like a taco and you would eat it," he explains as he hands us the stunning bite at L.A.'s inaugural Wine & Food Festival. While you could use any type of caviar from Beluga to Golden Osetra for this dish, if you want to truly indulge, not just any jamón will do. It needs to be Ibérico ham.

Jamón is a very popular cured meat in Spain. But just like here in the States, there are different types. The best of the best is Ibérico, which comes from Andalucia. But the best Ibérico comes from the Cinco Jotas brand. "Many people feel that it's the best Ibérico ham in the world," explains Senín Carbia, a master carver from Spain. Cinco Jotas is the best because, unlike other jamóns, its product is a black-label jamón. 

The process behind making a great Ibérico ham doesn't just start with location, but with the pigs who produce it. The pigs are Ibérico pigs who spend their days grazing in meadows and eating nothing but acorns the last few months of their lives. Those acorns not only add to the pig's weight, but they produce all that gorgeous fat lining each slice. Once the pig is slaughtered, the legs are set aside to cure and age.

Coming from the little town of Jabugo where the temperature is ideal for curing, this particular jamón is aged longer than most, making it a black-label ham. See, this Ibérico pork is cured between three to five years. "So, it's a very aged Ibérico," Carbia continues. "Normally Ibéricos are aged only one year." Those extra years add to its black-label status, making it the best jamón you can buy.