Lomo embuchado: cured pork loin
Spain (Extremadura and Huelva)
The cured pork loin of Spain — a single muscle (the lomo, or longissimus dorsi) marinated in paprika, garlic, and herbs, stuffed into a casing, and cured for 2-3 months. The result is sliced thin to reveal a beautiful cross-section: the lean, deep-red pork surrounded by a thin layer of external fat, with the characteristic paprika-red colour throughout.
Lomo embuchado is distinct from jamón in being a muscle with no bone and from chorizo in being a whole muscle rather than ground meat. The curing is milder — less salt, less time — and the result is subtler and leaner than either.