Among the culinary "novelties" mastered by our compatriots, the leading place is occupied by the delights of Italian cuisine. Probably, the inhabitants of this vibrant country are close to us - if not in spirit, so in food preferences. Even if someone doesn’t like pizza, he is quite able to choose some delicacy in Italian culinary that will conquer the fuss for the rest of his life.
Among such discoveries conquering the stomach - prosciutto. What is this, not everyone knows, but meanwhile, many would be happy for themselves if they tried it.
Italian fat
Of course, to call this delicacy so rude and unfair. Such a name is not worth a prosciutto. There is no doubt that this is a type of bacon or ham, but it is a very outstanding ham.
Prosciutto history is lost in the darkness of centuries. It is known for certain that it already existed in the time of Ancient Rome, but has since greatly improved in taste. Some ethnic groups have some analogues: the Spaniards praise jamon, the French consider the jambon to be the top of the ham taste, but only Italians really achieved perfection.
Manufacturing Features
Subtleties and tricks begin already with the content and fattening of cattle going to prosciutto. That this affects the taste of the final product is beyond doubt. For any type of this ham, pigs are fed fruit and acorns, but in every prosciutto province there are secrets even in the diets of animals. One of the secrets ajar by Parma is that pigs are fed with whey, which remains in the manufacture of Parma cheese. As a result, the prosciutto of this province has a completely different taste from other areas.
The same goes for spices. If Parma costs only sea salt, then in other places they use pepper and garlic, and in the third - specially selected herbs.
Varieties of Prosciutto
Based on the main technological differences, it is of two types. When preparing prosciutto ham called crudo, the pork ham is smoked raw. Moreover, for this variety of pigs fed mainly corn and fruits. Smoking takes at least eight months, and in some cases drags on for up to two years. Among this discharge of hams, Cuneo prosciutto stands apart. That it’s also crudu - undoubtedly, but this bacon is made using vinegar, although it is not much there.
The second type of Italian bacon is called cotto. It is first steamed (or fried - it depends on the place of manufacture) and only then smoked, and the second stage is much shorter than in the case of prosciutto crudo.
How to buy quality prosciutto
First of all, when buying Italian "fat" you need to carefully study the labeling. The package must bear the inscription PDO Prosciutto. If it is not, most likely it is an imitation made not even in Italy. Many of these fakes can not be eaten without frying, and even taste they are not even remotely like prosciutto.
It is also advisable to buy it not in a vacuum bag: the taste in such packaging is quickly lost, and the “appearance” remains the same. As a result, you will not get what you were striving for.
If we distract from the inscriptions and packing, then the prosciutto should have a thick layer of fat, and this fat must be white, turning pink at the transition to meat. The meat layer is not brown, not bright - pink and tender even in appearance. Will give a try - do not refuse. If you feel an unpleasant taste of rancidity, you should not take the product - either it was stored incorrectly, or the shelf life expired, or this piece was removed from the vacuum film.
Is Italian ham homemade?
Having tried the famous prosciutto, I really do not want to refuse it. In stores, it is often not very high quality - you must store such ham in compliance with certain rules. Therefore, many have the question of whether it is possible to make prosciutto at home? There is only one answer to it: absolutely no! Remember how the dried ham begins - with a properly fed pig. And if you do not have your own pig farm plus oak forests to collect acorns, plus the secrets of Italian masters, you will not be able to get the right meat for prosciutto. Even in his homeland, not all provinces are entrusted with fattening livestock for their favorite bacon.
And for the production of dried pork, you need a smokehouse and skills to work with it. Without a doubt, you can learn, try, acquire the necessary equipment and get high-quality ham, which is much superior to store varieties. But for prosciutto - only to Italians!
What is prosciutto with
Usually it is used just like ham - in thin slices with something. The nuance is that, along with prosciutto, they serve kiwi, figs or melon, which emphasize and accentuate its taste.
However, Italians use their bacon in complex dishes, such as soups. In this case, it is added at the very end of cooking, so as not to lose its unique flavor and not be boiled.
There is prosciutto in pizza, which becomes almost a festive dish. If it acts as the meat component of dinner, boiled vegetables like peas or asparagus become a side dish. An interesting dish with prosciutto, the recipe of which has already attracted our people: they wrap it like sausages, for example, veal, or vice versa - they “hide” the prosciutto in a straw from bread or a small melon.
This wonderful ham is also a part of salads. One of the most delicious is with arugula, tomatoes and parmesan. For its preparation, the cheese is rubbed so that an air mass is obtained. Arugula is artistically laid out, tomatoes are cut into thin plates and placed on top. The hill is sprinkled with cheese, and already it is laid out prosciutto in stripes. All this wealth is flavored with mustard sauce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper. Tasty until you lose your pulse!
A full dish is also such a prosciutto: a recipe with potatoes and mushrooms. Mashed potatoes are prepared for him, mushrooms (which are) are fried in butter, after which garlic, wine and mustard are added to them. In this form, the mushrooms must be stewed for a couple of minutes, then add the cream - and a couple more minutes. Beef steaks are wrapped in thin prosciutto plates and fried in vegetable oil for 3 minutes each side. Then the steaks are wrapped in foil, under which they languish on the table for several minutes - until you lay on the table. With mashed potatoes, mushrooms and lettuce leaves - just a great dish.