Cecina, a tender sliced cured beef with a deep red color and rich smoky flavor, is León's answer to jamón. This premium cut of grass fed beef is cured with sea salt, spices and sherry, then smoked over oak wood. Sliced fresh at La Tienda, it is ready to be served with a glass of your favorite vino.
Cecina is Spain's culinary secret, just as worthy of acclaim as Spain's famous hams. And like jamón, over thousands of years, the people of Spain have transformed the curing of beef from a necessity to an art, creating a delicate, flavorful meat unlike any other in the world.
Always serve cecina thinly sliced at room temperature as you would Spanish jamón. It is usually enjoyed as a tapa with a glass of wine but can also be added to fresh salad. Because it is leaner than ham, we usually drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on the slices. Cecina can be served alongside a plate of sliced Serrano ham, where the similarities and contrasts between these two classic cured meats can be enjoyed.
Spain is not permitted to export beef to the United States, so we work with a small family curing house to create an American-made cecina. The cure masters take whole pieces of premium, hormone free beef and carefully cure and cold smoke each piece with oak wood in the Spanish tradition.
León, in northwest Spain, was founded by the Romans (León probably derives from the word "legion," as opposed to its modern spelling which means "lion"). Because of a cooler, greener climate, there is a strong tradition of cattle farming. Smoking and curing beef became an important way to preserve meat starting in Roman times, and over countless generations the method was perfected. Today, the full flavor and delicate texture of cecina speaks to this history, and makes cecina a truly special cured meat.
This cecina was sliced fresh at La Tienda and is kept refrigerated to preserve its flavor. Cecina does not require cooking but can be added to recipes.
