A long, thin, "lizard-shaped" strip of pork (typically 50 to 80 grams, 25 to 30 centimetres long) that runs along the inside of the ribs against the loin of Iberian pigs (*Cerdo Ibérico*). Two per animal. Heavily marbled with the breed's signature monounsaturated fat — acorn-fed (*bellota*) examples even more so — which renders quickly under high heat to give a buttery, almost beef-like richness. Cooked fast: seared on a *plancha* or grilled rapidly to medium-rare and served whole or in coin slices, often with nothing more than coarse salt and a squeeze of lemon. The name *lagarto* ("lizard") refers to the muscle's long, slender shape, not to any beef-cut analogue — Portuguese-speakers also use *lagarto* for the eye of round, but that's anatomically and species-wise unrelated.
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Iberian lagarto | Loanword on Iberian-pork-focused US restaurant menus; sometimes labelled "Iberico lagarto". |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Iberian lagarto | Loanword in UK Iberian-pork specialty butchers and high-end restaurants. |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Lagarto ibérico | Loanword in upscale Spanish-influenced restaurants; not part of Mexican butchery tradition. |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Lagarto ibérico | Spanish import; appears at Iberian-pork-focused Buenos Aires restaurants. |
| 🇫🇷France | Lagarto ibérique | Loanword in French Iberian-pork specialists. |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Lagarto ibéricoprimary | Native Spanish butcher's term; a recognised Iberian-pork specialty cut alongside pluma, presa, and secreto. |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Lagarto ibérico | Used in Portugal for the Iberian pork cut; the unqualified "lagarto" in pt-PT refers to the beef eye-of-round, so the qualifier matters. |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Lagarto ibérico | Loanword in upscale Brazilian restaurants; the unqualified "lagarto" in pt-BR is the beef eye-of-round, so the qualifier disambiguates. |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Lagarto iberico | Spanish loanword in Italian specialty butchers carrying Iberian pork. |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Lagarto (Iberico) | Sold under the Spanish name in German Iberian-pork specialists. |
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