Our aim is not to replicate Spanish Ibérico or detract from the Spanish export business in any way. Our co-founder Tim Harris and his family run La Tienda, the largest online destination for Spanish food in the United States. Harris has always been passionate about celebrating artisanal and small family producers in Spain and connecting customers with the rich history and community that imbues Spanish cuisine.
With Texas Iberico, he and third-generation Texas rancher Ashly Martin are creating an entirely new American charcuterie with the breed of prized pigs that were brought over from Spain several years ago. Their intention is not to copy Spain, but instead celebrate the ingredients and flavors that are native to Texas through these distinctive products.
Texas Iberico does not make a dry-cured unsmoked ham. Because at Texas Iberico, we are not aiming to replicate Spanish Ibérico, we want to celebrate ingredients and flavors found in Texas through these distinctive products. The flavor of the pork is due to the pigs’ diet, which consists of agarita berries, mesquite beans and cactus that are native to Texas, as well as the inventive recipes for the curing process that include some of the same ingredients that the animals eat.