Many of you asked that, and here we are to give you all the answers you need. Is there a way to best cut and store a delicacy such as Prosciutto di San Daniele Dop? Today we are going to give you all the instructions about the art of cutting prosciutto and best storing it.
You should know that even Louis XVIII of France was particularly proud of his ability to cut prosciutto in very thin slices: he actually said that, in the long years before ascending the throne (1814), cutting ham was his favourite hobby.
How to cut a Prosciutto San Daniele Dop?
The paths you can follow are various. They depend essentially from the tools you have in your hands. Let’s sort through the two main methods, with all the precautions you should take to get the prefect slice!
Cutting with a knife
A cutting board, a ham holder, a fork, a scalping knife, sturdy and with a short blade, and a knife with a long and sharp blade. These are the key elements to be able to cut prosciutto di San Daniele by hand.
When you have a whole ham with bone you begin with removing the rind, the putty on the surface and the small hip. It is important to remove only the part of rind strictly necessary for the cut, in order to preserve the product at its best. You will get rid of some rind every time you start cutting the ham, as needed. Secure the ham on its holder, with the part you have previously cleaned from the rind facing upwards. Now you can start cutting the slices, using always both hands to keep the posture balance while cutting: one hand holds the knife with the thin blade to cut the slices and the other holds the fork to lift the cut slices.
You should cut from right to left in parallel with the bone, with a light sawing motion involving all the knife length, without applying excessive pressure. And what about the thickness? That is according to your taste!
The slicing is carried out until you reach the femur bone, removing the rind and the putty every time. When you reach the bone, turn the ham upside down on the staple side, remove rind and putty, secure the ham again on the holder and slice it on this side.
Did you buy a ham section? In this case all you need are cutting board and a sharp knife.
After removing the ham from the vacuum package, first of all pat dry the slightly greasy film on the surface with some kitchen paper. Afterwards you can remove the rind and put the ham section on the cutting board. You can start slicing the ham by hand, with the fat side always facing upwards.
Cutting with a slicing machine
To carry out a proper machine slicing procedure you must start by removing from the thigh the small hip, the rind and the putty on the surface, using the appropriate knife. If you like, you can already remove the paw at this stage.
Put the ham on the slicing machine on the side previously cleaned from the rind and start slicing until you reach the knuckle. At this stage, remove with a knife the meat all around the bone and down to the knuckle, in order to be able to remove the femur. Turn the ham on the tip side, and after removing rind and putty on this side, resume the slicing. When only the cuff is left, you have to remove the internal bone.
How to best preserve prosciutto
Now that you know how to perform the perfect cut, it is important to understand how to best preserve your Prosciutto Dop.
- How to preserve a bone-in-ham
The secret to maintain the scent of a bone-in-ham is the storage place, which must be cool and dry, with a temperature between 18 and 20 degrees centigrade. Once cut, it is better to storage the prosciutto in the fridge, without forgetting to cover the cut part with cling film or tinfoil. A little piece of advice: every time you start slicing the prosciutto, you should discard the first slice, as, being on the surface, it tends to oxidize and dry up a bit.
- How to preserve a boned prosciutto
If you have a boned prosciutto, after removing it from the vacuum package, first of all you must wrap the cut part on top with cling film or tinfoil, with which you will cover the whole prosciutto to prevent it from absorbing other smells. The prosciutto must then be stowed in the fridge at a temperature between 1 and 7 degrees.
- How to preserve the containers of sliced ham.
Also the containers of sliced ham should be storaged in the fridge, and they should be ideally opened 5 or 10 minutes before eating the prosciutto. The maximum time of storage of the closed containers in the fridge, always written on the packaging, is 120 days.
- How to preserve prosciutto that was sliced at the supermarket counter
Prosciutto that was sliced at the supermarket counter must have a nice coating of fat, both on the sides and inside the slice and a light pink color. In order for the product to be preserved optimally, the slices shouldn’t be overlapping on top of each other and every layer should be separated by the special sheet of paper. Moreover the slices should be packed in a “soft” way, not crushed, and also placed as stretched out as possible. To improve the tasting of the product that was sliced at the supermarket counter, we advise you to eat it right away, one hour or two after the purchase and within 24 hours anyway.
Can you freeze a prosciutto section?
And finally, the most frequently asked question: can you freeze a prosciutto section? Well, the answer is yes.
After our simple recommendations, preserving and cutting a Prosciutto San Daniele Dop will be very easy. Its taste and flavor wait for nothing but you!
