Mallorca, Balearic Islands
The spreadable cured sausage of Mallorca — raw ground pork seasoned with pimentón (sweet and hot), salt, and black pepper, stuffed into natural casings and dried for 30-120 days depending on size. Unlike most Spanish cured meats, sobrasada is soft, almost paste-like, and is spread on bread, used in cooking, or melted over honey as the definitive Mallorcan breakfast. The pimentón content is extremely high — 35-40% of the total weight of spices — which acts as a preservative through the antioxidant properties of the paprika. The fat content is also high: sobrasada is rich, unctuous, and deeply coloured red-orange. The breed of pig traditionally used is the Porc Negre mallorquí — the Mallorcan black pig.
Pimentón ratio is critical — both sweet and hot varieties, combined in the ratio that defines the maker's house style. Ground pork must include a high proportion of fat — minimum 40% by weight. Salt inhibits fermentation and draws out moisture during drying. The drying room must have the right humidity — too dry causes the casing to split; too humid prevents drying.
Sobrasada amb mel (sobrasada with honey) on toast is among the great simple combinations in Iberian food — the saltiness, richness, and paprika heat against the floral sweetness of honey. Sobrasada can be used in cooking in the same way as chorizo, releasing its fat and paprika into the pan. Pairs with Mallorcan wines — Binissalem Negre from Manto Negro grape.
Under-seasoning with pimentón — the colour and preservation function depend on the paprika volume. Using lean pork — the texture becomes grainy rather than spreadable. Rushing the drying — the flavour develops during the cure.
The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden