Prosciutto - Hamming it up
For one of Italy’s famed food products, only four key ingredients are needed – pork, salt, air and time – but, the age old traditional processes involved are what creates a unique gastronomic experience.
Australians have become increasingly used to seeing paper thin slices of prosciutto, usually served as an antipasto dish. Many have also baulked at the price of the imported version or simply been confused as to what they are actually buying and where it originates from.
The name prosciutto might easily trip off the lips and excite the tastebuds, but unless we understand the unique techniques, climate and ingredients that produce this product, then often we are buying blindfolded.
A recent delegation from Parma’s Chamber of Commerce and the regulatory body, the Consorzio del Prosciuto di Parma, brought with them the finest examples of the ham we know today, but that grew out of a tradition stretching back 2000 years.
The number of prosciutto hams exported from Italy topped 10 million in 2009, with around a third coming from the most recognised producing area of Parma, in Emilia Romagna. All of them had to carry the distinctive stamp of authenticity that became law in 1970.
Everything related to prosciutto production is carefully regulated, from the breeding and feeding of the Landrace/great white cross pigs to the natural drying process and final inspection methods. This is a perfect example of “slow food.” The Parma consorzio was started in 1963 by 23 producers who combined to protect their authentic age-old methods. By 1970, they had the first Italian Government ham protection law and in 1996 were granted DOP status. And, as the consorzio says, individual producers may come and go, but the tradition remains intact.
But, this is not just a matter of raising pigs and shipping them off to the processing plant each year. Ninety per cent of the Parma pigs are initially raised in the Po Valley region. For the last four months of their lives they come back to the Parma area where they are fed on selected grains and the whey from that other iconic Parma product, Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The minimum weight they need to reach is 150 kilograms and maximum of around 190 kilograms, meaning a much leaner pig. Processing the prosciutto must start within 120 hours of slaughter and no refrigeration is used. Curing must be carried out in the southern part of Parma, essentially where the hill country begins. The natural breezes and levels of humidity – that the experts say only occur in specific Parma locations – will be the key ingredient after the hams have been salted.
The salting process, or la salagione, is one involving ancient know how. Applying the right amount is carefully guarded knowledge and the maestro salatore are very highly sought after craftsmen. The salting is still done by hand and is an extended, slow process in itself. The initial salting requires the knowledge to apply just enough for the size of the ham. Once rubbed and coated, the hams are left to sit for seven days and any remaining salt is rubbed off before a new coating is applied. Throughout this time, temperature and humidity are controlled as these can affect the penetration of the salt. The basic aim is to get enough salt into the meat to preserve it without making it overly salty.
The next step is to hang the hams to “rest” for two months and again, temperature and humidity are crucial. They are then washed and trimmed to remove any remaining salt. Now comes a four month pre-ageing stage in dry and airy storage areas. Curing follows the seasons. But, even after the four months and with the preceding three months of the process, what we have is salted meat. The surface is sealed and the salt has reached the bone, but before it becomes prosciutto, man’s ability to read and harness mother nature is required. All the natural curing plants are sited east/west with the aromatic winds coming from the south. When conditions are perfect, windows will be opened to allow the right flow through for natural drying. They will spend a minimum of 300 days – the minimum legal requirement in Italy and the EU - in these carefully observed conditions. Some producers will cure their hams for up to three years. The consumer can now begin to understand the different and higher costs associated with the Parma method. Other large-scale production methods can produce hams in around six months by injecting them with nitrates and other preservatives rather than let nature and careful observation do the job.
There are more than natural breezes at work though. After seven months, a softened lard is used to cover the meat with a thin line left uncovered. Moisture in the ham’s interior moves towards the small exposed part and gradually spreads into the dried surface. This is where the hams begin to change from a dry brown to the beautiful soft rose colour we associate with prosciutto.
Once they are ready, qualified inspectors test each one using slivers of dried horse bone inserted into five crucial points. Their most important tool of the trade is their noses. Unless the smell from each of the five points is perfect or perfetto, the ham is rejected. Around 700,000 out of eight million Parma hams produced each year are rejected. The ones that pass are branded with the consorzio’s “crown” and labeled as “Prosciutto di Parma.” If a ham doesn’t have the crown brand then you may be buying an inferior product. It won’t necessarily be a bad product, but it won’t be the best of the best.
Around 79% of Parma’s premium prosciutto is consumed in Italy and the rest is exported mainly to France, the United States, Austria, the United Kingdom and Australia. In Australia’s case, hams from around only 15 of the producers will be sent to this market. Other importers have different requirements. For instance, the US Department of Agriculture requires the hams to be hung for an additional 100 days. This extra ageing process makes for a richer flavour, but also adds considerably to the price.
One Australian importer, Basile, has sourced San Nicola prosciutto which is processed and cured in the heart of the Upper Parma Valley. A good supplier and their outlets should be able to show that their products bear the appropriate brands. Given that this is such a natural product, the question arises as to how it is best served. This is a fine food product and its fans usually allow it to simply speak for itself. For Patrizia Basile, there is nothing quite like a summer day with very thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, served with crusty bread and Auricchio Reggiano Parmigiano cheese. A glass of chilled Prosecco completes the picture. It is most commonly found on an antipasto plate, wrapped around grissini or teamed with melon for a fabulous sweet and salty flavour burst. This raw prosciutto is called prosciutto crudo.
Much of the prosciutto we see for sale is often pre-sliced. Unless you have a top notch slicer or can expertly wield the type of knife needed to achieve the very thin, uniform slices, then ask your deli to do the slicing for you.
Prosciutto is also found in cooked dishes, but whether you would want to use the absolutely premium product for this is up to the individual. It can be included in simple pasta dishes and is used in meat stuffings or wrapped around veal or steak.
Saltimbocca is a well know dish where veal escalopes are topped with a sage leaf, wrapped in prosciutto and pan fried. It is salty, so err on the side of caution when seasoning cooked dishes containing prosciutto.
For suppliers of San Nicola prosciutto see www.basile.com.au.