What is the montanera of the Iberico pig?

Definition of montanera

The montanera is a stage in the pig's rearing period during which the animal is fattened on acorns and/or feed. On the dehesas, acorn-fed pigs feed on acorns and pasture.

This fattening stage takes place on the dehesas, approximately from September to February, when the acorns ripen and fall from the holm oaks and cork oaks. It is the final and most important stage of the pig-rearing process.

During the montanera, Iberico pigs graze freely on the dehesa to feed on the acorns. In their first stage they are raised on farms in perfect conditions, fed on feed, and only in this final stage do they eat exclusively acorns.

The animals enjoy their last months of life in optimal conditions: completely free, stress-free and grazing peacefully in this natural setting. The dehesas are used exclusively for raising the pigs and are not shared with other activities, such as hunting, since the presence of wild boar and hunters could disturb the animals.

The pig's montanera in summer

Before the montanera, during the summer months and until the acorns start to fall, the animals are left to graze freely. During this time they feed on roots, plants and leaves, and occasionally on feed. Meanwhile, they get exercise walking through the dehesa, so their weight drops to around 90 kg, which is their structural weight. That way they start the montanera with an appetite, and fattening on acorns (the cebo de bellotas) happens almost instinctively.

During the 3-4 months that this final stage lasts, the pigs fatten up to 150-180 kg; some almost double their weight. The dehesas have about two hectares of land per pig, and the daily intake per animal is around 8-10 kg of acorns and between 1 and 1.5 kg of grass, depending on its size and weight.

The montanera, the dehesa and the acorns are an essential part of that delicacy that is Iberico acorn-fed ham.