Il Prosciutto Crudo

Prosciutto crudo

Considered the “prince” of Italian deli meats. The Prosciutto Crudo (raw ham) is a seasoned product obtained from selected pork thighs, coming from animals weighing between 160 and 180 kg (the so-called “heavy pigs”). The shape is elongated, pear-shaped, while the colour inside the ham is rosy, uniform, edged with fat. The scent is fragrant, the taste is delicate, not very salty, tasty and aromatic. Some hams of the Italian tradition have the protection of the European DOP or IGP marks.

How to make Prosciutto Crudo

Hog leg, salt and time: these are the only ingredients needed in the processing of Prosciutto Crudo (raw ham). Once selected, the thighs (with a weight ranging from 9.5 to 14 kg) are massaged for a long time with the salt; then, after a period of rest, they are washed, brushed, dried, controlled to detect any errors and then left to dry at a temperature that must not exceed 15 degrees Celsius. It is beginning then a long and slow seasoning of the thighs, for 8 to 16 months in suitable and controlled premises, where the hams are hung on special frames: this process provides the ham with the organoleptic characteristics which made it famous throughout the world. During the seasoning comes the “sugnatura”: the parts of the meat around the bone, exposed to the air, are covered with a mixture of substances (generally based on pork fat, salt, ground pepper and other ingredients according to tradition and habits) preventing the ham from drying too quickly.