Description
The Cordero de Navarra PGI is a fresh meat from pure bred lambs from the Navarra and Lacha species. They can be divided into two categories: the Lechal lamb and the Ternasco lamb. The Lechal is a lamb male or female from the Lacha or Navarra breeds, which is suckled by the mother until the time of slaughtering, while the Ternasco is a lamb male or female, solely from the Navarra breed which has been suckled for at least 45 days since birth.
Production Area
The production area of the Cordero de Navarra PGI falls inside the territory of the Autonomous Community of Navarra.
Production Method
The mothers of the lambs which produce the Cordero de Navarra PGI have been nurtured with alimentation from pastures with extensive or semi-intensive feeding regulations. The ovine animals pass most of the year in the pastures. In winter time they are held in farms where their alimentation is integrated with conserved fodder like grass or dry oats and natural fodder like cereals and legumes. The transhumance procedures and the practice of short moves between valleys and mountains are often adopted for the Lacha breed. It is forbidden to use substances which can influence on the normal rhythm and growth of the animals. The transport, the slaughtering, the checks and the identification of the pieces should be in line with the production regulations.
Appearance and Flavour
The Cordero de Navarra PGI meats range from a mother-of-pearl light flesh to pale pink in colour. The meats have a soft consistency and they are tender and juicy with a medium-scarce cover of fat. The weight varies for the three types: Lechal lamb from the Lacha breed, Lechal lamb from the Navarra breed and Ternasco lamb from the Navarra breed.
History
Lamb has been consumed by the population of Navarra since medieval times. In the production zone, the Cordero de Navarra PGI meats are the principal ingredients for many typical recipes of the area. The two ovine breeds, Navarra and Lacha, have lived together in the production area up to the present day, surviving the various crises which have hit the Spanish sheep-rearing community throughout history.
Gastronomy
The Cordero de Navarra PGI can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, wrapped in a protective film, in the coolest compartment. The product can be cooked in various ways. The most famous is the carpaccio of Cordero de Navarra PGI, which is prepared with thin slices of this almost raw meat and dressed with toasted corn and balsamic vinegar. It can be combined with a large variety of ingredients like greens and vegetables, potatoes and artichokes for the preparation of many different recipes.
Marketing
The product is sold as Cordero de Navarra PGI in the Navarra Ternasco, Navarra Lechal and Lacha Lechal breeds. The PGI logo is always on the packaging together with the indication of the breed on a blue background for the Navarra Ternasco breed, yellow for the Navarra Lechal and red for the Lacha Lechal.
Distinctive Features
The Cordero de Navarra PGI meat is appreciated for its well-known distinctive flavour which is determined by the environmental characteristics of the pastures in which the ovine are raised.
