Selecting Cured Meats
A board of cured meats relies entirely on the integrity of the muscle and the time taken for it to age. When you know what to look for at the counter, you move from buying labels to selecting products that reflect the producer’s craft.
Read the fat, not the brand.
The way fat holds its shape at room temperature tells you everything about the animal's diet and the curing environment.
- sharp carving knife
- wooden serving board
What goes in.
- 4 ozProsciutto di Parma, sliced paper-thin
- 4 ozSalami, fermented with natural casing
- 4 ozCoppa or Capicola, whole muscle
Wait for the sweat
Allow your meat to sit at room temperature for ten minutes before serving. The fat will soften just enough to become translucent and release the aroma of the cure.
The method.
Inspect the color
Avoid meat with an iridescent sheen or grey-brown edges. The muscle should be a uniform, deep crimson or ruby, indicating proper aging.
Check the casing
On fermented sausages, look for a natural white bloom of mold. This is a sign of a traditional, controlled aging room.
Examine the fat
Press your finger against the fat. If it feels greasy or leaves a residue on your skin, it was processed at too high a temperature. It should feel waxy and firm.
Slice for the table
Use a sharp knife to cut salami into rounds at a slight bias to increase surface area, ensuring the aroma hits before the taste.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Ask the butcher to slice prosciutto to order; pre-packaged slices oxidize quickly and lose their delicate texture.
Avoid vacuum-sealed meats that appear dark purple or tightly compressed, as they often lack the complexity of air-dried alternatives.
If the meat smells aggressively sour or like ammonia, return it immediately; it has not been stored at the correct humidity.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is there white powder on my salami?
That is a beneficial mold culture used to protect the meat during the drying process. It is a sign of quality and should not be wiped off unless the casing is tough.
Should I refrigerate my cured meat?
Keep it in the vegetable crisper to maintain a stable, cool humidity, but always pull it out of the fridge well before you plan to eat.
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