From Origin to the Plate
Quality is considered throughout the entire production process, not just at the cutting board.
Exclusive Professional Masterclass · Spain
Cortador Masterclass Spain 2027
Understand Ibérico. Assess the aging process. Cut with precision. Present based on sensory evaluation.
October 24–25Possible ways to get there
through October 28, 2027End of the master class
Madrid · Salamanca · GuijueloProfessional Perspectives
Why This Masterclass?
A good cut starts with an understanding of the entire product.
The Cortador Masterclass Spain 2027 is an in-depth, specialized program for individuals with prior experience. It views Jamón Ibérico not as a single slicing technique, but as an integrated system encompassing origin, rearing, processing, curing, slicing, sensory evaluation, and presentation.
Previous masterclass formats documented at BEHER in Spain provide an important foundation of professional experience. The new edition builds on this foundation in a focused professional development format.
Not a beginner's course. Not a show. A master class for professionals who want to understand the product and the craft in all their depth.
Precision with Responsibility
The cut and presentation are designed to highlight the product, its structure, and how it is perceived.
Evaluate Rather Than Assert
Maturity, texture, temperature, and aroma are classified in a comparative and transparent manner.
The Ibérico System
Five Perspectives. A Cohesive Understanding of Quality.
The masterclass illustrates how decisions made throughout the entire value chain shape how the product is ultimately perceived. Choose a department and explore its connection to the product.
01 · Origin
Quality begins long before the first cut is made.
Origin, genetics, husbandry, and feeding are central to the Ibérico system. The masterclass explores how these factors relate to the resulting qualities, degrees of curing, and sensory profiles.
Origin · Genetics · Housing · Feeding
02 · Understanding the Product
Processing makes the origin legible.
Salting, resting periods, and artisanal processing are viewed as part of a cohesive product story. What matters most is how each step influences the texture and flavor.
Processing · Structure · Relationship to Quality
03 · Time
Maturity is not merely a matter of age.
Maturity levels are classified comparatively. Temperature, time, fat structure, and product development form the technical framework for a reliable assessment.
Time · Fat Composition · Maturity · Profile
04 · Crafts
Every cut changes our perception.
The cutting technique, rhythm, and slice thickness are determined by the product. The cortador is responsible for how the texture, temperature, and aroma are perceived by the guest.
Editing · Rhythm · Respect for the Product
05 · Classification
Evaluation arises in context.
Tasting and sensory analysis combine factors such as ripeness, cut, temperature, texture, and aroma. The goal is to develop a clear understanding of the evaluation process rather than relying on memorized terms.
Flavor · Texture · Temperature · Presentation
Cortador Craftsmanship
The Cortador isn't a performer; he's a translator of the product.
The Cortador culture combines skilled craftsmanship with respect for the product. The angle, rhythm, slice thickness, and temperature all determine the texture and aroma that are perceived.
Cutting Technique
Precision Without Routine Blindness
Technique is not taught as a rigid sequence. It adapts to the dancer's level of maturity, anatomy, muscle structure, and the specific condition of the product.
Presentation
The product remains the focus
A professional presentation organizes, explains, and fosters understanding. It is no substitute for craftsmanship or sensory evaluation.
Sensors and Display
What the cut reveals must be understood through the senses.
Tasting and sensory analysis are not conducted in isolation from the craft itself. Maturity, temperature, slice thickness, fat quality, texture, and aroma are all considered together.
This fosters a solid understanding of evaluation. Perceptions become more precise, differences can be explained, and the presentation gains professional substance.
Three Professional Settings
Madrid, Salamanca, and Guijuelo.
Three locations offer different professional perspectives on the product. They represent the culture of enjoyment, origin, regional value creation, aging, and the craft of the cortador. The specific schedule will be published along with the final program.
Madrid
Culinary Context
Madrid is synonymous with the professional handling of Jamón Ibérico in the restaurant industry, retail, and presentation. The city broadens the artisanal perspective to include the market, communication, and the culture of enjoyment.
Salamanca
Regional Classification
Salamanca offers insight into a product’s origin, regional value creation, and cultural roots. Quality comes to be understood as the result of an entire system.
Guijuelo
Aging and Craftsmanship
Guijuelo combines climate, aging expertise, and the culture of the cortador. Previous specialized formats documented at BEHER provide an important foundation of experience for the masterclass.
The Professional Path to a Career
From Understanding to Professional Presentation.
The master class combines technical context, close observation, hands-on work, and sensory analysis. The program remains concise without oversimplifying the product's interrelationships.
Commute 01
Read the system.
Product categories, origins, and quality considerations are analyzed from a technical perspective before the practical work begins.
Orientation establishes a common professional foundation.
Commute 02
Recognizing maturity and structure.
The surface, fat content, texture, and ripening process are carefully examined and evaluated in light of existing expertise.
Observation becomes a well-founded assessment.
Commute 03
Apply the technique precisely.
Precise guidance, rhythm, angles, and blade thickness are understood as an integrated technical task.
Precision serves the product, not the show.
Commute 04
Perceiving differences through the senses.
Aroma, mouthfeel, fat quality, and texture are perceived in a structured way and related to aging and cutting.
Comparison builds a robust sensory memory.
Commute 05
Convey expertise in a way that is easy to understand.
Presentation and communication round out the work process. Technical decisions are communicated in a way that is clear, transparent, and appropriate for the product.
Craftsmanship, sensory perception, and language are intertwined.
Proven expertise in Cortador.
Specialized publications complement the existing formats and provide editorial context on origin, aging, product evaluation, cutting techniques, and presentation.
professional community
Craftsmanship in Professional Discourse.
This article documents the professional work of the Cortador Masterclass. As an editorial piece, it is presented here in its natural portrait orientation and is directly related to previous publications.
Masterclass Experience
Experience that takes the next step in 2027.
The Masterclass 2025 showcases what makes this format so special: understanding the product’s origin in the context that shapes it; evaluating the aging process through direct comparison; precisely preparing an entire leg of meat; and combining cutting techniques and sensory evaluation into a professional presentation.
The 2027 edition builds on this technical depth and focuses even more consistently on product knowledge, precision craftsmanship, and sensory confidence.
October 24–25 through 28, 2027 · For professionals with existing basic qualifications.
For experienced professionals
A master class requires a solid foundation of expertise.
The program builds on existing knowledge and practical experience. It provides an in-depth look at the Ibérico system, the work of the cortador, and sensory product evaluation.
Meat Sommeliers
Cortadores and Cortadoras
Master Butchers and Skilled Workers
Instructor
Sensor Technology Specialists
Coach
Culinary Professionals
Basic Qualification
For those who do not yet have the necessary technical background, the Cortador format offers a good starting point.
About Basic QualificationMasterclass 2027
October 24–25 throughOctober 28, 2027
Participants may arrive on October 24 or 25. Through October 28, the program will provide a focused environment for professional exchange, intensive work on the product, and an exploration of the connections between origin, aging, cutting, and sensory analysis.
For meat sommeliers, cortadores and cortadoras, master butchers, instructors, sensory evaluation specialists, trainers, and culinary professionals with existing basic qualifications.
Qualified Inquiry
Interested in the Cortador Masterclass Spain 2027?
Please let us know about your professional qualifications and your interest. M.E.A.T. will notify you as soon as the final framework and next steps have been determined.