Making Prosciutto: Smoking Meat, Making Sausage, Making Cheese, Making Jerky, Brewing Beer, Canning, Dehydrating

Prosciutto

Two Methods for making Prosciutto

Method #1 - Wet Cured

First we need to find a nice fresh leg of pork about 10 to 12 pounds. Have the ball joint removed by your butcher.

Next we have to place the Pork in a salt water brine of 2 to 4 cups of sea salt or pickling per gallon of water and completely cover the meat and refrigerate for 3 to 4 weeks. Stir it up every now and then.

Next we have to cold smoke the pork. Rinse the pork under running cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Insert “S” hooks or piece of twine through the bones to hang the meat in the smoker or smoke house. There should be very little heat, and lot of smoke being produced. Hot smoke is not desired for this process.

To make a smoke house take 4 sheets of 4’X 8’ plywood. Make a box making sure to cover the top. Cut the bottom 3’ of one side using it as a door for the fire pit. Near the inner top secure a rod, broom stick will do, for hanging the meat. If added air circulation is needed drill some 1”to 1-1/2’’ holes near the top.

Each day for 7-10 days start a smoldering fire in the pit. Use any type of hardwood you desire. Excellent flavors are obtained from fruitwood such as apple or cherry. You can use hickory, maple or oak wood. Just remember you do not want heat, only smoke. Once the color is golden brown, or the smoke flavor is sufficient, stop with the fire.

The next step is drying and during the prosciutto. This takes 4-5 months. If the outside temperature is cold enough you can leave the meat in the smoke house for the drying. A spare refrigerator with a small fan will work well for this.

Once the meat is completely cured, consistent color throughout the ham without any red showing, it is ready to eat. Remove the skin and as much of the fat as you can and cut it into a few large pieces. Wrapped in an airtight plastic freezer bag until you need it. Vacuum sealers are great for this.

Method #2 – Dry Cured

First we need to find a nice fresh leg of pork about 10 to 12 pounds. Have the ball joint removed by your butcher.

6 - 8 large bulbs of garlic
1/2 pound of peppercorns
3 pounds of Sea salt or Pickling Salt
large plastic bag big enough to hold the pork and a pan

Separate cloves and peel garlic. Press cloves or grind garlic in food processor into a paste. You need enough garlic paste to spread generously over the whole leg of pork.

Grind peppercorns in a mill or food processor.

A. Dry the pork with paper towels. Spread a thick layer of garlic paste over pork leg on all exposed surfaces. I like to do step A, B, and C by covering one side at a time. It makes he application easier.

B. Sprinkle the pepper all over the pork and pat thickly into pork leg over the garlic.

C. Sprinkle the salt all over the pork and pat the salt in over the pepper. Be generous with all three applications especially the salt. You want the pork completely encased with the salt as thick as possible.

Now you will have to put your leg of pork into the refrigerator while the salt draws out the moisture for the curing process. Elevate the leg on a rack and put the rack into a pan. Place the pan and pork into a tightly sealed plastic bag and put the whole thing into the refrigerator. Check the pan daily and drain any liquid pooling in the pan. Refrigerate for 32 days.

Lay the pork on a counter in a pan and cover and press with a very heavy weight for four or five days. No need to worry about the pork spoiling as it has already been cured by the salt. It is now considered an Italian ham.

After five days, wash the meat very carefully in cold water. Wrap the ham in cheesecloth and hang it to dry for about five days in a cool dry place.

Grind more garlic and peppercorns and place them in a separate dishes. Cover all exposed surfaces of ham with garlic paste then pepper.

Wrap the meat in cheese cloth and tie it neatly so that it can be hung for at least six months - più lungo il beter! (which means the longer the better in Italian).

After the long hanging you should unwrap your prosciutto and de-bone it. Remove the skin and as much of the fat as you can and cut it into a few large pieces. Wrapped in an airtight plastic freezer bag until you need it. Vacuum sealers are great for this.

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