In December, Chef José Andrés' three-unit tapas concept Jaleo became the first domestic operation to serve Spain's legendary jamón Ibérico. The ham, made from the cured legs of Iberico pigs, had been illegal in domestic markets until footwork by American jamón aficionados and the construction of a USDA-approved curing plant in Spain made importing the delicacy possible.

Jamón Ibérico is prized for its fat, which melts at room temperature. Recebo, the grade of ham currently sold in the United States, is made from pigs finished on a diet that include acorns. Yet although the ham runs between $60 and $100 per pound wholesale, cost doesn't prohibit restaurateurs from buying it. More often the problem is availability.

Restaurants who serve the ham serve it thinly sliced and unadorned. At Bar Boulud in New York City, a plate of sliced ham, about 2½ ounces, sells for $18. Juicy Wine Co. in Chicago serves the ham for $15 an ounce. In the Washington, D.C., area, the three locations of Jaleo serve the ham for $8 an ounce. To get the true experience, Jaleo guests are encouraged to order at least two ounces.

Yet some ham aficionados are holding out for later this year, when the higher-grade jamón Ibérico de Bellota, made from free-range pigs finished on a diet exclusively of acorns, enters the market.