About twelve months ago, Lou Palma, Montclair's favorite gastro-mechanic, and I began the Prosciutto di Palma Project. The process was well documented; from obtaining the Berkshire pig legs from Nicolosi Foods, then to curing it, pressing it, hanging it, and larding it.
Yesterday, the big day arrived and Baby Prosciutto di Palma came home! Finally, it was time to taste months of patient waiting. Lou cut into the large fat cap and revealed intensely marbleized, pink meat.
The flavor was beyond any other cured meat I've ever enjoyed - truly a one-of-kind! The Berkshire prosciutto has a unique flavor all it's own, savory with a very mellow sweetness - you could almost taste the diet of the pig.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of our little Baby Prosciutto di Palma is the texture. Due to the marbleizing, a rich creamy coating is left on your lips and fingers, that makes the finish last forever!
I happened to have some store bought prosciutto on hand, so we decided to do a side by side comparison. The store bought prosciutto not only paled in color comparison, but also in flavor and texture.
To keep the prosciutto safe and secure, and to make for easier carving, I purchased an Arcos ham holder from Amazon.
The prosciutto will be the perfect addition to our Thanksgiving table! I would like to send a very special thank you to Lou Palma for sharing and teaching this unique, and valuable technique. Thank you, Lou!
Visit the Meat Curing page for more of Lou's pork curing mastery.
