The pastures
The natural habitat
The natural habitat in which our livestock herd is raised is the Mediterranean pasture, made up of large, green expanses of countryside surrounded by cork oaks and centuries-old holm oaks, from which the precious and energetic acorns that our Iberian pigs fatten during the breeding season are obtained. montanera and which constitute the main basis of their diet, this being the determining factor of the final quality of our products.
During their stay in the pastures, our pigs enjoy the sun and the outdoors in total freedom, having large spaces through which to move without fences or barriers of any kind.
A natural diet, based on herbs and acorns that our pigs find in our own pastures, allows their tissues to present a high proportion of nutrients, minerals and antioxidants, as well as a very high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, among which stands out oleic acid, so beneficial for our health.
All of this makes DON IBÉRICO products have not only unique sensory characteristics, but also such beneficial qualities for the health of those who consume them.
The Montanera
This is the term used to define the fattening phase of Iberian pigs in the pastures that, in total freedom, are forced to do continuous exercise in search of water and food, slowing fattening and thus ensuring that the fat is infiltrate even further into your muscle mass, resulting in incomparable juiciness, aroma and flavor.
During this period, the basic food of the Iberian pig is the acorn that falls from the holm oaks and cork oaks, something that is complemented by the grasses of the pastures, stubble, wild legumes and the fruits of the grasses. The entire rearing of the animal is planned in such a way as to achieve one of our most important objectives: that the pig reaches this phase of the montanera in the appropriate conditions to make the most of the acorns and grass in the pastures. The duration of the montanera depends greatly on the weather conditions of each year, although it normally extends between the months of October and March.