Thousands of years ago, the curing of pork became an art in the glorious region of Tuscany and today it is used in all sorts of gourmet Italian food. To this day, pork remains the favorite meat to cure for traditional Italian salumi - cured meat. Imagine sitting in a trattoria with your friends. The waiter comes over and says, “Affettati misti?” He is asking if you would like him to bring an assortment of cured meats to share between you . Of course, you all respond “YES!”. Served with some fabulous, probably unsalted bread, this is a wonderful start to an informal meal. Some may come to your table sliced and plain, while others may arrive in a marinade of olive oil, maybe some pepper or a little touch of lemon.
Traditional Italian Salumerias are the best places to explore the world of cured meats of the region. The Salumeria is Italy’s version of a delicatessen. You will surely find prosciutto crudo – cured ham. Prosciutto is usually cut so thin that you can almost see through it! The proscuitto tuscano is darker than most, less moist and a bit saltier – perfect for the Tuscan bread which usually contains no salt. Of course there will be many different types of salami. The toscano version will be one that is rich, firm and seasoned with peppercorns, garlic and a bit of wine. To make the proscuitto, fresh hams are refrigerated until the meat hardens. After that, they are cleaned and shaped. The final step is the salt curing – then off to the againg rooms.
Of course you will find coppa and pancetta and soppressata, the latter being made from the not so desireable parts of the pig, but the 24 hours of cooking and the seasonings of salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, etc., makes it popular around the world. There will be finocchiona and its cousin sbriciolona, made from the pork belly and jowl.
This list goes on and on, but traditional Italian cured meats abound everywhere and will surely be found on every picnic blanket in Italy. So watch for the local Salumeria and enjoy the bounty of Tuscan cured meats when searching for authentic gourmet Italian food!
Mangia Bene!
