When I was younger, a friend of mine's mom would make prosciutto in the back room of their apartment under the eves in downtown Siena, and I remember how good that room smelled as I watched her scoop handfuls of salt over the ham one day. I haven't ever tried making it myself for want of space, but here is how.
You'll need:
You'll need:
Ingredients:
- A fresh ham
- Garlic and other herbs and spices
- Salt
Preparation:
- A very fresh ham from an animal that's just been butchered, cut free from the carcass by an expert butcher, and which hasn't been refrigerated; it should be well fleshed, with the central vein well drained (have the butcher do this for you, squeezing out all the blood, because if any blood remains the prosciutto won't cure properly), and weigh between 26 and 33 pounds (12-15 k), or even more if it's from a sow.
- 12-15 cloves garlic, peeled and ground in a mortar together with lightly moistened fine sea salt, abundant peppercorns and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; you don't want them to overshadow everything else). This is an indicative quantity; you could find yourself needing much more.
- A cool, dark place that's well ventilated and not overly damp, though not bone-dry either.
At this point it is salted; rinse it with a mixture of equal parts warm water and vinegar, and hang it up to dry in a dry place that's impervious to flies (they're drawn to prosciutto at this stage) for 2-3 months. Stucco the exposed flesh of the ham with rendered lard and hang it to age for another 7-8 months.
At this point it's ready, though barely -- Many prosciutto makers age their prosciutto for 15 or more months in all. You may follow their lead, or, if you want to experience something truly special, seal it up in a wooden case surrounded by wood ash for two years.
A couple of words on slicing a prosciutto:
You'll need a sharp knife; the traditional prosciutto knife is about a foot ling and a half inch wide. You'll also want a prosciutto holder, which is a large clamp device that lets you stand the prosciutto on edge, with the bone horizontal (one generally begins with the half with the most meat facing up). Trim away the rind and begin slicing the prosciutto, parallel to the bone, trimming away more rind as necessary. With practice you'll be able to cut thin, even slices. Once you reach the bone, flip the prosciutto over and begin sliding the other side. Once you have trimmed away all the meat you can get, use the prosciutto bone for soup.
A Note: In suggesting the you put prosciutto under ash, Italian recipes simply say "sotto le ceneri." Put the prosciutto in a container full of wood ash, in direct contact with it. The quality of the ash will be important here -- you'll want ash from non-resinous hardwood, for example oak or chestnut. I wouldn't use pine.
