A devoted husband, after a grim ALS diagnosis in his partner, chose to channel a portion of profits from his Salamanca-based factory toward Carmen Hernández. Iberian sausages became a lifeline, a way to support those affected by a disease that had claimed Manuel a little over a month earlier after years of struggle and perseverance.
They decided to launch a special package, the Double M Limited Edition, to collaborate with the ELA association of Castilla y León. This woman, who spent thirty-five years teaching philosophy, stepped away from the classroom to pursue a simpler life in Mozárbez with her husband, where the Montellano sausage factory has earned a reputation among Spain’s finest restaurants and gourmet shops. The meat from these pigs carries notable polyphenols, tocopherols, and other antioxidants, and its acclaimed flavor has already drawn praise from Japanese gourmets who compare it with the brightness of lemon and even the prestige of wagyu. Orders from Hong Kong sometimes route through to China, reflecting the product’s growing international appeal.
Montellano High School in Salamanca is where Carmen studied before marrying Manuel. The couple started the company with savings from her parents, adding support from the Guijuelo cooperative, which sources feed mostly from Extremadura—just north of Seville and near the Portuguese Alentejo. On their family farm in Montegallardo, within the Salamanca mountains, Carmen Hernández raises about 200 acorn-fed pigs, beginning the montane season across more than 300 hectares of land.
About ten thousand pigs a year are raised to produce the range of hams, shoulders, sirloins, dams, feathers, loins, chorizos, and sausages that the business is known for. The founders note concern about the extreme heat of the season, fearing it could strain the montanera due to scarce pasture in holm oaks and cork oaks within dehesas, where acorns are a crucial resource for the pigs. They emphasize that the journey from pen to table hinges on this careful balance between climate, grazing, and a pig’s well-being.
Working with Iberian hogs demands a precise, almost ritual approach. The final, prized products come from a diet that blends fat, sugar, steady exercise, and a tranquil environment lined with green lawns and the classic oak groves, where the animals roam through the last ninety days before slaughter. The pigs are typically two years old at harvest, enjoying two montaneras as part of their life cycle, a period that shapes the depth of flavor characterizing the ham and its companions.
In the quality test of Carmen Hernández hams, excellence is evident. The brand’s certification and care are underscored by the team’s commitment to rigorous standards, a factor that has helped Montellano extend its reach beyond Spain into prestigious stores in Japan, Macau, Australia, Mexico, Colombia, and Canada. The operation is very much a family effort, built on a shared history and a belief in the mission that ALS awareness deserves meaningful support and visibility.
Price pressure and inflation present real challenges for the business and its customers. The two main partners, Carmen and her daughter Carmen Curto, navigate the market with determination, traveling substantial distances to source top-tier animals. They prefer to buy from trusted farmers when prices run near a certain threshold and to process and package the meat when it meets strict quality criteria, a cycle that spans October through February, following the Christmas campaign.
Annual production includes 2,500 acorn-fed pigs for jamón, 6,000 free-range pigs, and 2,000 forage-fed pigs. This ambitious production plan underscores the family’s dream: to deliver premium Iberian meats that grace tables around the world. The Double M Limited Edition project embodies this dream, with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to ALS relief efforts, a cause deeply personal to the family given their recent losses and ongoing commitments to the cause.
“We’re a family business, and ALS is something we know all too well,” notes Carmen Curto, who remains mindful of the impact of the illness on her father. The decision to fund ALS support through the sales of the Double M Limited Edition reflects a desire to turn hardship into help for others facing the same battle. The package includes three bags, each weighing 80 grams, of the 75% Iberian ham from the 2017 vintage, showcasing the quality and heritage that define this family enterprise.