Here are some tips and tricks about prosciutto that I learn over the time and through my experience working with it over the years. I decided to share these with you, as before I came into the business, I would ask myself these questions everytime I find myself in front of a deli counter.

1. How to store prosciutto?

• If the prosciutto is sliced, keep it in the coldest part of the fridge (usually in the bottom), make sure it’s well wrapped/air tight (preferably in plastic) so the edges do not dry.
• For a full piece (not sliced) you can either refrigerate it in fridge or in the freezer. Always make sure the piece is well wrapped to avoid mould in fride or freezer burn.

Prosciutto di parma has for centuries been made and can only be made and cured in the countryside of Parma, Italy.

Four ingredients are needed for the production of Prosciutto di Parma®:

1. Italian pigs
2. Salt
3. Air
4. Time.

Prosciutto di Parma® is an all-natural ham and all additives are prohibited.

The making of Parma Ham® is a long process where the curing is controlled carefully so that the ham absorbs only enough salt to preserve it. The hams are made from a very rare bread of pigs that are bred in north-central Italy specifically for Prosciutto di Parma® production. They have a specific diet that contains a blend of cereal grains and whey from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese production. When time for slaughter, the pigs have to be nine months old and must weigh a minimum of 340 pounds.

At the “prosciuttificio” (processing plant) some skin and fat is trimmed to give it, it’s “typical” shape.
Sea salt is rubbed into the meat, which is then refrigerated at 80% humidity for about a week. Remaining salt is then removed and the ham gets a second coat of salt, which is left on another 15 to 18 days, depending on the weight.

Now there is about a seven month process of refrigerating, washing, drying, pre-curing and finally the exposed surfaces are softened with a paste of minced lard, salt and pepper. The hams hang on racks for an additional three to five months. In the end, the hams are cured at least for four hundred days, and some are cured as long as 30 months.

Finally the Prosciuttos have to pass all of the quality control tests and are then fire branded with the official mark of the Consorzio, the five-point ducal crown that identifies them as genuine Prosciutto di Parma®.

LOCAL PROSCIUTTO “SILVER”

This prosciutto is called “local” because it’s made in the US and not in Parma. The only difference is that the pigs are not from parma but from the mid-west regions of the US. They are much smaller in size therefor the hams need a shorter curing process (aprox. 9-10 months) The “hams” are aprox. 4-5kg, while the ones from Parma are 6-8kg.

CULATELLO

The Culatello is considered as the “Cadillac” of Italian hams for some people. It is made from the larger muscular section of the back legs of a pig. The skin and the bone is removed, it is then rubbed in with salt and covered with the bladder for better results in preserving and protecting it during the time of curing.
The “ham” then gets massaged various times during the 6-8 month curing time. Our Citterio Culatello is also “locally” (US) made but it is one of our more distinct and in higher demand product. The Culatello has a more intense flavor than the Prosciutto “Crudo” (raw) It weighs aprox. 2-3 kilos.

PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANIELE

The Prosciutto di San Daniele is made more or less just like the Prosciutto di Parma, but in San Daniele.
The differences are few. In Italy the Prosciutto di Parma is sold “footless” meaning that the pig’s foot is removed, while the prosciutto di San Daniele still has the foot attached.

The Prosciutto di San Daniele has a shorter salt curing time than the one from Parma.

They get stacked on top of each other during the curing time, rather than hung which results in being much stiffer and flatter and they have more of the shape of a violin rather than the shape of a chicken leg like the one from Parma.

It is important to let you know though that this is how they are made when they are sold in Italy.

The Citterio Prosciutto di San Daniele’s that is exported to North America, does not have the foot attached nor does it have the shape of a guitar, they are put in similar molds as the Prosciutto di Parma.

The Prosciutto di San Daniele tastes sweeter than the Prosciutto di Parma.

Our Prosciutto di San Daniele weighs 7-8kg per piece.

What you see in the above pictures are the Prosciutto kinds that we carry at Macchi Inc. They are by Citterio. We are the exclusive wholesalers of Citterio in Canada. Citterio has been for years synonym of top quality. I’ve had many followers on twitter sending me messages telling that they only buy Citterio’s cold cuts. We are proud to supply Canadians with Citterio. We are planning to organise blind tastings soon. If you live in the Montreal area and are interested, let me know in the comment section below by leaving me a reply.

Left: Derek Dammann, Top right: Paolo Macchi and Nathalie Rivard: Bottom right: Kim Vallee and Hivron “MrsMacchi” Turanli

On the launch of my Blog, the first product that I introduced was our key product: The Citterio Prosciutto. Kim Vallee sent me a message on twitter and let me know that she had by then only had one kind, of the five kinds of prosciutto that we are supplying and I quickly responded to her and offered her to have a Prosciutto tasting with us over a lunch at restaurant DNA in Montreal. With me I brought my husband and the President of our company Macchi Inc. Paolo Macchi and Kim were accompanied with the all so pleasant foodie friend of hers, Nathalie Rivard. As we all installed our selves at the table, there were 4 cameras and one video camera, one computer and 3 iphones covering our table and I was just thinking; “will there be any room for the plates?”

- Of course, there was !!!

We started our lunch with introducing ourselves, since this was the first time I’ve met with Kim Vallee and her being a veteran in the blogging world and me being a new beginner, there was a lot of excitement on my part. But to think that there would be any kind of silence or awkward moments at the table since this was our first time meeting, is terribly wrong. The conversation was flowing between the four of us and everything was so interesting, from Kim continuously coming up with new ideas of potential new projects and Nathalie’s endless  travelling experience, to Paolo’s  knowledge and family secrets and tips on our products, this would have been for anyone, ease dropping  a “wikipedia heaven”.

Then the first plate arrives and there is an immediate silence!

Executive Chef and part owner Chef Derek Dammann presenting us with Prosciutto (local), Prosciutto San Daniele 18 month and Culatello

Paolo starts explaining about the prosciutto and Nathalie quickly picks up the video camera and starts filming, this is how it went on for  five courses introducing our five kinds of prosciutto “crudo” (raw). This lunch went on for aprox. 4 hours and let me tell you that if we all didn’t have other things to go to after it could have easily gone on for another two hours!

On the picture above we have:

1. Prosciutto, local - Quebec charentes melon, lemon juice, baby basil

2. Prosciutto San Daniele, 18 month – Grilled Ontario peaches, Mint, horseradish

3. Culatello – Fingerling potatoes, mustard vinaigrette, mustard seed, mustard oil, DNA pickles, micro herbs

Throughout the tasting we were enlightened with the presence of Derek Dammann coming to our table explaining the dishes that he had made. The manager and part owner Alex Cruz made sure that his very pleasant and professional serving staff catered to all of our needs and that the water and wine glasses were never left empty at the table. Finished plates were quickly removed and bread basket always filled.

Prosciutto di Parma 24 month, Prosciutto di Parma 14 month and Pork blood and chocolate panna cotta with strawberries

The next two plates that were brought out;

4- Prosciutto di Parma, 24 month – Mostarda di castagne, Mustard greens

5- Prosciutto di Parma, 14 month – Bliss maple vinegar, Parmigiano reggiano shavings

We were now all in a place of complete satisfaction and mutually agreed that the ‘Mostarda di Castagne’ (candied chestnuts flavored with mustard and vanilla), another one of our products, was a perfect way to finish our last plate of prosciutto with.

Thinking that we were now done since we were all very satisfied and not to mention stuffed, Derek comes out asking us if there is any room for desert?

Now to say there was room for more,  wouldn’t be entirely true, but we were a female dominating table and just as they say that you reach a mans heart through his stomach, I think I could comfortably make the statement that you reach a woman’s heart with a good desert, you will at least keep her satisfied!

And he did!

6. Pork blood and chocolate panna cotta with strawberries

In one sentence; Man ( pork blood)  meets woman ( chocolate )!

Tasted like something i’ve never tasted before, and I would recommend everyone to give it a taste on your next visit at DNA Restaurant.

I would like to end this by thanking Kim Vallee, Nathalie Rivard and Paolo Macchi for a really enjoyable lunch and to give Derek Dammann and Alex Cruz a standing ovation, not only for this specific day but for always making us and whom ever we are accompanied with, leave their restaurant extremely happy and content.

Thank You!

-MrsMacchi-