La Quercia

"Is this Spain? No, it's Iowa...in this special to the Tribune, Winifred Moranville visits Norwalk, Iowa where Herb and Kathy Eckhouse operate La Quercia, an artisanal ham processing facility that many say produces the closest thing to Jamon Iberico on this side of the Atlantic." Ronnie_Suburban
Ronnie, I just purchased some LaQuercia prosciutto. My standard of prosciutto deParma as reference for prosciutto(10) This would rate as a solid 9.5. If compared to Serrano, I'd say 11. Compared to Iberico, it's a draw, both are outstanding, Iberico (which I purchased at Schaffer's) may have a slightly richer flavor. I have only sliced into the the bottom end of the LaQuercia ham, it's a little drier being a thinner quadrant of the whole.The deciding factor for my preference of the LaQuercia over the Iberico would be twofold,price(less than half the price) and my natural inclination for most things produced in Iowa(I'm from the Marion,Cedar Rapids area) Forgot to mention the Green Label product from LaQuercia is also an organic product raised from a herd of Berkshire cross hogs in or around the Dyersville area(Field of Dreams).

madcow1 wrote:"Is this Spain? No, it's Iowa...in this special to the Tribune, Winifred Moranville visits Norwalk, Iowa where Herb and Kathy Eckhouse operate La Quercia, an artisanal ham processing facility that many say produces the closest thing to Jamon Iberico on this side of the Atlantic." Ronnie_Suburban
Ronnie, I just purchased some LaQuercia prosciutto. My standard of prosciutto deParma as reference for prosciutto(10) This would rate as a solid 9.5. If compared to Serrano, I'd say 11. Compared to Iberico, it's a draw, both are outstanding, Iberico (which I purchased at Schaffer's) may have a slightly richer flavor. I have only sliced into the the bottom end of the LaQuercia ham, it's a little drier being a thinner quadrant of the whole.The deciding factor for my preference of the LaQuercia over the Iberico would be twofold,price(less than half the price) and my natural inclination for most things produced in Iowa(I'm from the Marion,Cedar Rapids area) Forgot to mention the Green Label product from LaQuercia is also an organic product raised from a herd of Berkshire cross hogs in or around the Dyersville area(Field of Dreams).

Thanks, madcow1, for the report. I'll be in the shop tomorrow and hope you've got a bit of that La Quercia left in stock when I get there

=R=

:: perk ::

Did I hear that right? La Quercia products available in the Chicago area? Where, pray tell?

I have the Green Label,organic prosciutto, around 39.00 lb at Zier's Prime Meats in Wilmette.

I am SO there!!! Saved me a drive to Iowa! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nice drive this time of year--not You may have to get here early to beat Ronnie to the punch!! BeforeI got off the phone with Herb at LaQuercia this morning, he informed me he new exactly where I was located(he graduated from New Trier), and couldn't understand why his product wasn't in any of the stores on the North Shore.Ironically, I told him I knew pretty much where the hogs were raised as I had driven by that particular farm hundreds of times. Anyway the flavor is quite complex,the earthy tones of the acorn is evident,maybe not quite as much as the Iberico, but to know we have a product that is produced somewhat regionally is pretty comforting if not exciting. And you don't have to shell out big bucks(relative to the Jamon Iberico at anywhere from 70 to 100 per lb.) We do machine slice it,if only to appreciate the texture and experience the "melt on your tongue moment" of the fat mixing with the flesh. Enough drivel, you will enjoy! Now if I can procure the pancetta from LQ!

He graduated from New Trier? Whaddya know! My dad taught American History there for, well, something like 40 years -- before it split into East and West, and after they came back together). I knew how to take the C&NW train and get off at the Indian Hill stop and walk to the school (we took swimming lessons there during the summer) about as soon as I learned to read. All my life, I almost never ran into a New Trier East graduate who didn't know my dad. The current congressman Mark Kirk was one of his homeroom students.

Actually, if I had a few days free, I wouldn't mind at all a drive to Iowa, though the nicest time of the year for that seems to me to be the fall. For the Eckhouses' sake, I would be happy to see La Quercia products selling all around Chicago. But for my own personal selfish purposes, Wilmette will do fine. I'll get over there as soon as I can. And if you're sold out, I'll start following Ronnie Suburban around til he agrees to share some of his supply with me.

Did I hear that right? La Quercia products available in the Chicago area? Where, pray tell?

For those looking for La Quercia products in Chicago, Fox & Obel carries (or at least used to carry) certain La Quercia products. Panozzo's in the South Loop carries La Querica guanciale and I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of other La Quercia cured meat products. Avec's prosciutto plate is La Quercia. I'm sure there are others. By no means am I discouraging a visit out to Zier's, which looks amazing from Ronnie's posts. But there are Chicago options for those who can't make it out to Wilmette.

Matt wrote:Did I hear that right? La Quercia products available in the Chicago area? Where, pray tell?

For those looking for La Quercia products in Chicago, Fox & Obel carries (or at least used to carry) certain La Quercia products. Panozzo's in the South Loop carries La Querica guanciale and I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of other La Quercia cured meat products. Avec's prosciutto plate is La Quercia. I'm sure there are others. By no means am I discouraging a visit out to Zier's, which looks amazing from Ronnie's posts. But there are Chicago options for those who can't make it out to Wilmette.

I'm pretty sure that F&O no longer carries it. They did, a few years ago, but sadly, they seem a bit ahead of the curve on this one, halting sales before it became hip.

Not much help to most (any?), Zingerman's had it last week.

About 6 months ago in another thread I wrote:

Of special note, Panozzo's carries the full line of La Quercia cured meats, including speck, guanciale, pancetta, and a variety of prosciutto.

I believe that's still true but you should call to be sure what you want is currently in stock.

Panozzo's Italian Market
1303 S Michigan Av
Chicago
312-356-9966

Panozzos carries La Quercia Rossa prosciutto. I go there regularly and they've only been out of the Rossa once on a very busy holiday weekend. They also serve La Quercia Rossa at Avec--as well as Jamon Iberico (at least they did a couple weeks ago). Panozzos also carries Fra'Mani salumi.

Just FYI, but the Whole Foods here in Santa Fe carries La Quercia products. I wouldn't know why we would get it here, and it would not be shipped to Chicagoland Whole Foods.
But, perhaps that's the case.
cheers,
parker

I stopped in at Zier's over the weekend and picked up some of the La Quercia Rossa that madcow1 posted about above. As many times as I've had this product in something else, this was my first chance to taste it by itself and I really enjoyed it. It's sweet and mildly salty with a distinctive, nutty aroma. I'd love to do a side by side comparison of this product with some prosciutto d' Parma, and Jamon Serrano. I think this product would compare favorably to both of them. That said, I believe that the Iberico is in another league. It's so much more intense and funky, there's really no comparison. Still, this is a terrific product and at about half the price of Iberico, a very good value . . .









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Zier's Prime Meats
813 Ridge Rd
Wilmette, IL 60091
847 251-4000

Ronnie, what you sampled was not the Rossa,but the green label Prosciutto Americano, an organic product; here's the link http://www.laquercia.us/PDFS/OrganicPro ... erhead.pdf. Sorry if I misled you, thanks for the photos and kind words(and thanks for omitting a head shot). I don't know what I was thinking,should have given you a sample of all three! Next time my friend!

madcow1 wrote:Ronnie, what you sampled was not the Rossa,but the green label Prosciutto Americano, an organic product; here's the link http://www.laquercia.us/PDFS/OrganicPro ... erhead.pdf. Sorry if I misled you, thanks for the photos and kind words(and thanks for omitting a head shot). I don't know what I was thinking,should have given you a sample of all three! Next time my friend!

LOL . . . you were holding out on me?!?!

Thanks for the clarification, Dave. I had no idea that was the organic product. I'll be back in on Thursday to pick up some more!

=R=

Ronnie, stop eating up all the La Quercia! I haven't gotten over there yet!

We have plenty, by the way LaQuercia was semi-featured in CooksIllustrated,the most recent issue.

I received a very nice present from my brother of a La Quercia sampler: prosciutto americano crumble, guanciale, and pancetta americana. Because nothing says Hanukkah like assorted forms of pork! I'm getting kind of excited reading about various uses around town and in the recipe index. I've got my sights set on pasta alla gricia, as if the holiday season isn't packed with enough calories already...

Here is my (possible) issue. He sent it to work, on a day I wasn't in the office. So it sat on my desk for less than a day. Each piece came vacuum sealed, all in a thermal bag, with an ice pack in it. The meat was cool to the touch, and the ice pack was cold, but not frozen. My best guess is it sat sealed in that bag for about 16 hours. Should this still be okay to eat? I've opened up the prosciutto and pancetta and tasted them (but have not used extensively), and I'm not dead yet, so that's a good sign. They tasted okay, with no noticeable off taste or slimy mouthfeel, but my ignorance about the taste and consistency of these items isn't making me terribly confident. I feel a little queasy thinking about using them in larger amounts if there's a consensus it's a terrible idea.

So my basic questions: Do you think I should go ahead and use the products? If so, what should I use them in?

Considering that these kinds of meats are left out unrefrigerated all across Europe (and, of course, were since long before refrigeration), I wouldn't worry about anything that meets your own smell test.



In any case, cool to the touch shouldn't be a problem with any meat.

NYT article on La Quercia. Probably need to register to read.

Ronna

It doesn't seem so. I clicked on the link and I'm reading it now.

La Quercia is a great product. My only complaint is that the bone runs a funny angle through the leg which makes it hard for me to slice at work. Other than difficult slicing I love the stuff.

Matt wrote:Did I hear that right? La Quercia products available in the Chicago area? Where, pray tell?

For those looking for La Quercia products in Chicago, Fox & Obel carries (or at least used to carry) certain La Quercia products. Panozzo's in the South Loop carries La Querica guanciale and I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of other La Quercia cured meat products. Avec's prosciutto plate is La Quercia. I'm sure there are others. By no means am I discouraging a visit out to Zier's, which looks amazing from Ronnie's posts. But there are Chicago options for those who can't make it out to Wilmette.

I'm looking for La Quercia's Prosciutto (especially the Green Label) here in the city limits and I found out that Whole Foods in Lincoln Park doesn't carry the prosciutto, just the pancetta. Still looking for options near my Ukrainian Village neighborhood.

I know I can shoot down to Panozzo's as well, which I may end up doing but can anyone confirm other sources? Thanks.

tyrus wrote:I'm looking for La Quercia's Prosciutto (especially the Green Label) here in the city limits and I found out that Whole Foods in Lincoln Park doesn't carry the prosciutto, just the pancetta. Still looking for options near my Ukrainian Village neighborhood.

I know I can shoot down to Panozzo's as well, which I may end up doing but can anyone confirm other sources? Thanks.

tyrus -- you may want to check with the Sam's on Marcey St. by that Whole Foods. I know I have seen certain La Quercia products there in the past. I think that's probably the closest you are going to find to Ukrainian Village, unless they carry it at Juicy Wine Co. on Milwaukee.

Matt wrote:tyrus -- you may want to check with the Sam's on Marcey St. by that Whole Foods. I know I have seen certain La Quercia products there in the past. I think that's probably the closest you are going to find to Ukrainian Village, unless they carry it at Juicy Wine Co. on Milwaukee.

Thanks Matt. I made a quick call and neither of those places are carrying La Quercia products. I'll most likely shoot down to Panozzo's this Saturday morning. Thanks again.

Just a quick update. I visited Panozzo's on Saturday to pick up some La Quercia prosciutto for a dinner party and found the deli/small grocer to be really nice.

I bought the Green label prosciutto and it was $44.99/lb. Very good product as described in above posts. Since I was there, I picked up some pasta (they carry a nice variety) - Chitarra by Rustichella D' Abruzzo, it's a spaghetti like pasta but square which went really well with the braised meat sauce I made - $5.99 per 500grams (17.5 oz). I also grabbed a few cans of San Marzano Tomatoes (I believe they were $3.59 for the 28 oz cans), olive oil, and parmigiano-reggiano (17.99/lb).

They also carry homemade frozen pastas and a variety of cured meats. Nice place, very friendly staff. Parking is street and very limited so go early.

For anyone who is interested, I recently ordered (and just received) a "seconds" Green Label prosciutto directly from La Quercia. They are currently selling odd-shaped 2.5-4lb pieces from their current batch for only $50 (including 2-day shipping) as they are apparently not very marketable commercially due to their appearance. Taste is supposed to be the same. We have a postage scale here at work, and it ended up weighing 4lb-12oz on arrival, which does include the small weight of the shrinkwrap. Cost per pound is therefore ~$10.50. Tonight, I'll taste at home.

I view prosciutto and jamon as two very distinct products.
We had one of the first Pata Negra jamons in the USA from La Tienda. I can honestly tell you that this jamon completely changed my thinking about what I liked in a dry cured ham. It is very difficult for me to get excited about any Prosciutto anymore but of course the price of the Pata Negra is a definate consideration.
I will however obtain some of the La Quercia product and try it. I placed my order for a second as $50 seemed reasonable to try.
I do have a whole ham hanging in my garage at this time but will only be able to cure/age it until about May when I expect the temperatures will get too high but we will see what the results are!-Dick

La Quercia Green Label arrived Friday and we sampled it yesterday.
Now one must rememeber that when judging and comparing agricultural products from around the world and indeed even from different producers in the same part of the world, there will be differences. These differences do not make one product better than the other, only different. Your preferences are most likely influenced because you are used to a product from a certain area or thats what first formed your palate for that product.
In terms of commercial prosciutto thats generally available in US Italian specialty shops whether domestic, Canadian or Italian, it a quite a different product more akin to a Spanish jamon. I find prosciutto invariably salty to the poiint of needing some thing to dilute the taste or can only have one small piece on its own. The La Quercia is not salty but is very rich and smooth as a good Serrano jamon. Now its not as complex as an Iberico Belotta but it was not fed acorns for finish. Iberico is available as whole jamons from La Tienda for $96/# where as this product can be had for $200 plus shipping for a minimum 7# piece. The irregular piece I got weighed slightly over 3# and for $50 including shipping, I am more than satisfied.-Dick