The method

Origin - Method.

Adapting to the pasturelands of the Serranía de Ronda.

Choosing the best of nature. - Adapt to the geographical and environmental setting, treasure all the wisdom of tradition and apply all the precision that science can provide.

This could be a summary of the method we have put in place at Dehesa Monteros to achieve sublime and high level products.

In addition, the vocational and perfectionist nature of our founder has led us to an obsessive search for excellence in results, often overriding the profitability of the brand.

Chelo Gámez:

«The most important thing is to achieve a differential product.»

Science, technique and precision to perfect tradition. - The traditional rearing of the Iberian pig, in an environment as particular as the Serranía de Ronda, offered many opportunities to optimize the results and reach the desired objective: an exceptional and differential flavor.

Thus, the Dehesa Monteros method can be explained with a series of numbers and key data that give shape to the brand and give it all its uniqueness.

1.792 (HA) 2 VALLES

Serranía de Ronda, Genal Valley and Guadiaro Valley

Our pigs are raised in the Genal and Guadiaro valleys of the Serranía de Ronda. The farms cover approximately 1,792 hectares distributed in 14 properties. The 1,000 pigs of Dehesa Monteros live enjoying more than one hectare per animal, since we adjust the stocking rate according to the density of Quercus on each farm and its annual acorn production.

We are talking about an idyllic natural environment, with valleys and canyons carved by mountain rivers, mist due to its proximity to the sea and among villages with tradition and wisdom for a different Iberian breeding, adapted to a very special environment.

45 (GRADES) Earrings

Dehesa Mountains of the Serrania de Ronda

The farms are selected one by one, with steep slopes of up to 45 degrees that force the pigs to exercise continuously to feed themselves. This exercise infiltrates their fat into the lean meat, raising its myoglobin levels and giving it an exceptional, high-level color, texture and flavor. Our 100% Iberian pig is an athlete adapted to the rugged and demanding orography of the Serranía.

80.000 (KG) Premontanera

Quantity of chestnuts consumed per year by our 1000 pigs

The exclusive chestnut premontanera of the Serranía de Ronda, which lasts about a month and a half, precedes the traditional montanera of acorns. The pilonga chestnut stands out for its sweetness and is a native fruit of the Serranía, the second largest chestnut producing area in Spain. This fruit balances the Iberian flavor, mitigating the astringency of the acorn and improving the infiltration of oleic acid in the animal, which prolongs and enriches its “Montanera”. The result is a product that is more durable, elegant and deep in the mouth.

1.020 (L) Water

Average annual rainfall recorded in the areas where our pigs live

The valleys where our pigs live, with an average annual rainfall of more than 600 liters in Spain, are among the rainiest and wettest in the whole peninsula. This impacts the ecosystem of our environment: density of trees, quantity and quality of acorns, more vegetation... Water is everything: more water means juicier acorns, more grass to graze on and softer ground to walk on.

172,5 (KG) 15 Rice

Average weight of the pig at the end of the fattening season

Our 100% Iberian pigs, of the Retinta and Entrepelada breeds, with slender ankles and an athletic and agile build, consume more than 1,400 kg of feed during their lifetime. The continuous exercise it performs in its search for food reduces its slaughter weight to 15 arrobas, 3 arrobas below the maximum 18 arrobas indicated by the quality standard. The result is a product with less subcutaneous or covering fat and greater intramuscular infiltration. Thus, the meat of our pigs reaches an unequalled quality and juiciness.

1.000 (UD) Exclusivity

Average annual production pigs

A limited edition of 1000 100% Iberian pigs, a quantity that allows us to maintain with great control the traditional and artisanal production systems, ensuring the homogeneity in the quality of the product and a personalized treatment to each client. That is why all our products are unique and unrepeatable pieces, Acorn-fed and 100% Iberian High Level.

At Dehesa Monteros, each step of the breeding process has been adapted to achieve the goal of an exceptional and high level product. -

The most unpredictable pasture became the best habitat for our pigs.

◦ The selection of the Iberian breeds, the etrepelada and retinta, are selected for their physical structure and adaptability to our steeply sloping dehesas.

The feed was carefully selected, taking advantage of the chestnut premontanera and using the highest quality cereals and dry peas throughout the year to achieve the desired flavor and texture.

All the slaughter and curing processes have been taken care of to the maximum, with individualized monitoring of each piece to achieve the right point that each one needs.