I have searched but I haven’t seen anyone else posting on Patta Negra ribs before. So apologies if I’m covering already charted territory or otherwise overstepping my bounds. If I am, it’s because I think the Patta Negra rib is worthy of a following.
About a year ago, I had the opportunity to smoke 100 pounds of meat for a work gathering. My partner in crime for the gathering contributed 10 bags of ribs from the "Patta Negra" or "black hoof" pig. That night may have been my best cook ever — although I remember the ribs being excellent, they blended into an otherwise amazing evening.
The Patta Negra, also called the Iberian pig, is the breed of Spanish pig that is used for Iberico ham. I’m no expert but I understand that because of the breed and how the pigs are raised (a.k.a., with a diet of lots of acorns), their meat, and in particular their fat, has a nutty taste to it.
I finally had the opportunity to smoke Patta Negra ribs again on Friday. I confirmed that the flavor is out of this world.
I cook the ribs very similarly to US style ribs with a few important differences. (1) I don’t trim off all of the fat from the surface — in my experience, fat is flavor and the ribs do not need as much rub. (2) I cook the ribs at my typical rib temperature (225 degrees) and I cook them until their internal temperature is lower — approximately 175 degrees — because I do not want to dissolve all that amazing fat. (3) I use a traditional US style rub but I do not use BBQ sauce because I do not want to overpower the flavor of the Patta Negra. Instead, I drizzle honey on the ribs at the end of the cook.
The Patta Negra ribs are difficult to find in the United States. However, there are a handful of dealers who source them from Spain. Each bag from Spain comes with three pieces - the traditional spares, another smaller set of ribs that look like spares and the cartilage over the spares. I cook all three pieces and serve the two rib pieces (the cartilage piece makes for a nice snack for me). Of course, the ribs are not cheap. I bought 5 bags delivered for approximately $30 each. However, it is much less expensive than other cuts of the Patta Negra (especially the famed Secreto).
There are also a handful of farms in the United States who are breeding the Patta Negra. I haven’t yet tried any US bred Patta Negras but I imagine it is akin to Japanese Kobe vs. US Wagyu — still amazing but probably not the same.
I’m attaching pictures of the ribs on the smoker from last year’s cook (it’s my avatar for a reason), the finished ribs from Friday and the raw bag of ribs.
About a year ago, I had the opportunity to smoke 100 pounds of meat for a work gathering. My partner in crime for the gathering contributed 10 bags of ribs from the "Patta Negra" or "black hoof" pig. That night may have been my best cook ever — although I remember the ribs being excellent, they blended into an otherwise amazing evening.
The Patta Negra, also called the Iberian pig, is the breed of Spanish pig that is used for Iberico ham. I’m no expert but I understand that because of the breed and how the pigs are raised (a.k.a., with a diet of lots of acorns), their meat, and in particular their fat, has a nutty taste to it.
I finally had the opportunity to smoke Patta Negra ribs again on Friday. I confirmed that the flavor is out of this world.
I cook the ribs very similarly to US style ribs with a few important differences. (1) I don’t trim off all of the fat from the surface — in my experience, fat is flavor and the ribs do not need as much rub. (2) I cook the ribs at my typical rib temperature (225 degrees) and I cook them until their internal temperature is lower — approximately 175 degrees — because I do not want to dissolve all that amazing fat. (3) I use a traditional US style rub but I do not use BBQ sauce because I do not want to overpower the flavor of the Patta Negra. Instead, I drizzle honey on the ribs at the end of the cook.
The Patta Negra ribs are difficult to find in the United States. However, there are a handful of dealers who source them from Spain. Each bag from Spain comes with three pieces - the traditional spares, another smaller set of ribs that look like spares and the cartilage over the spares. I cook all three pieces and serve the two rib pieces (the cartilage piece makes for a nice snack for me). Of course, the ribs are not cheap. I bought 5 bags delivered for approximately $30 each. However, it is much less expensive than other cuts of the Patta Negra (especially the famed Secreto).
There are also a handful of farms in the United States who are breeding the Patta Negra. I haven’t yet tried any US bred Patta Negras but I imagine it is akin to Japanese Kobe vs. US Wagyu — still amazing but probably not the same.
I’m attaching pictures of the ribs on the smoker from last year’s cook (it’s my avatar for a reason), the finished ribs from Friday and the raw bag of ribs.
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