Once the legs reach the prosciuttificio processing plant , each ham is tagged with a button, indicating the date it began curing. Next, salting is completed by hand in the traditional manner, by the maestro salatore, or salt master, who uses only the minimal amount of sea salt necessary. This makes Prosciutto di Parma taste less salty than other cured hams. Salt is the only preservative used in the processing method; no chemical elements are allowed.
Next, the hams hang for a period ranging between 60 and 90 days in refrigerated, humidity-controlled rooms, to ensure the sea salt properly absorbs into the meat.
The hams are then washed with warm water and brushed to remove excess salt and impurities, then hung in drying rooms for a few days. Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured ham that often gets a bad rep for high-salt content. While this concern isn't unfounded, two slices of prosciutto contains around milligrams of sodium, it's in many ways still a healthier option than bacon.
The price of prosciutto in Italy can change a lot from type to type. The most expensive commercial 'crudi' are Prosciutto di San Daniele and Prosciutto di Parma, but you can also find cheaper varieties, like Nazionale , which are mostly used for cooking. Prosciutto crudo should be deep pink not brown! It should smell sweet. Prosciutto cotto should be pale pink and fairly homogeneous in texture i. It is similar to the classic American deli ham. It is the combination of salt, air, and time that gives prosciutto its sweet and delicate flavor.
The higher altitudes and different climate give the meat a darker and sweeter flavor. Increasingly, American producers are selling prosciutto. Niman Ranch is the latest. The hams are cured in the traditional fashion — rubbed only with sea salt and lard, without added nitrites or nitrates — and hung to air-dry in stages for at least a year by a processor in Rhode Island. The sugar counteracts the harsh salt flavor but does not do much chemically for the curing process.
After the meat is covered in a salt mixture, it is hung in a warm, dry environment from anywhere for a few days to a few months. Regulations for production of the prosciutto di Parma specify this; nitrite and nitrate are not allowed.
The meat becomes dark rosy-red nevertheless. Pork meat contains two to three times more zinc than iron. So there's more than enough in the hams to displace the iron. In its original sealed package, prosciutto may last for up to two years. Once the package is opened and the prosciutto is exposed to air, it should be fine in the refrigerator for at least a few weeks. Old documents even show that around the year , cured meat was used, in one case, to pay lawyers in a local dispute over fishing rights!
With a history dating back centuries, it was only natural that the reputation of prosciutto from the Friuli region spread throughout the world. It also became important to protect the unique conditions and traditions behind the product. The Prosciutto di San Daniele Consortium was set up in to offer a guarantee of quality and authenticity. This means that only prosciutto that conforms to strict maturing methods and geographical factors can bear the name Prosciutto di San Daniele.
Each phase of the preparation, including salting and maturation, must also be done in the San Daniele area. Our Prosciutto di San Daniele is made from just two ingredients — the meat of pigs born and bred in Italy, and sea salt.
The ancient technique used for maturing our prosciutto contributes towards giving it its delicious taste, softness and aroma. We wanted to celebrate that and so, in , compulsory branding for the Designation of Origin was introduced. Also in the Twentieth century, we celebrated another first — the launch of our now annual Aria di Festa in — a festival dedicated to Prosciutto di San Daniele and the local area.
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