All Hail the Pig!

All Hail the Pig! Pork, Couchon, Schweinfleisch, whatever you call it, it is made into many different luxury products. Photo. The king of the pork products, though, is prosciutto.

Prosciutto, also known as Parma Ham, Jambon Rouge, and Jamon is known throughout the world as a luxury product. It wears a lofty price tag to go along with it too. In America, at the time of writing, Prosciutto di Parma costs about $12-$15 per pound. Is it worth it? You better believe it! What is it about the ham that makes it so valuable? It is all about the process.

The process is ancient and at least partially well-guarded. In general terms, the ham is salted for several months, then air dried for up to two years. The drying process removes the water, and concentrates the flavor and aroma. The end process is a velvety-textured ham with a unique flavor and aroma. The entire job description of some lucky individuals is to place a special tool into specific locations on the ham at certain intervals before pulling a sample, and checking its aroma and taste.

What should you look for when buying prosciutto? Dark red is not a good sign. I have purchased pre-packaged 'proshoot' in the grocery store, and it just is not right. I cannot believe the proper process was used to make it. You should look for dry, whole prosciutto that is sliced razor thin on the spot. Specialty grocers are more apt to have a better product in this country, as frankly, the people who work at the supermarkets don't even know what prosciutto is, and will make comments like "why would you pay for this when the honey baked ham is on special?" Or, even, "this stuff looks disgusting!"

Beware one of the oldest prosciutto sales tricks in the book: the idea that the paper thin slices must be layered with wax paper to keep it from sticking. This is simply hogwash, and in my opinion, a way for the $12-$15 per pound delicacy to quickly reach your desired weight, and at your cost. If the prosciutto is quality, and dry, it should not stick together anyway! I want prosciutto, not wax paper!

One of the best ways to eat prosciutto is by itself with a glass of red wine. The red wine should recall the taste of the prosciutto for several minutes after your last bite. Keep sipping the wine and tasting the prosciutto until the taste is no longer recalled, then eat some more. In the Southern European culture, it is common for most people to eat even the fat of the prosciutto. I admit I pull most of the fat off before eating it. My friend from the northern European reaches of Göteborg, told me it is a common practice in Sweden to remove the fat. A very popular way to present prosciutto at a dinner party is to drape it over melon (a.k.a. cantaloupe). The melon, like the wine should recall the taste of the prosciutto, although in my opinion, not as well. Just remember, keep the accompaniment simple.

Prosciutto can also be made into a sandwich- just lightly butter baguettes, and incorporate the prosciutto. I would advise against adding too many other ingredients or spices- you paid for the prosciutto, enjoy its taste, not the taste of other ingredients. Oh, and one of the biggest sins in my opinion is cooking prosciutto- it ruins everything the curer worked for and you paid for.

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