What is Prosciuttini?

Prosciuttini or ‘small prosciutto’ in Italian, is a dried and salted spicy ham, sliced or in pieces. Taken from the hind leg of the pig, like normal ham it is not smoked but cured for between 7- 30 months. Prosciuttini is also called black pepper ham or known as spiced prosciutto.

When tasted, it is mild and sweet, and the more pepper the better it tastes. It can be difficult to find, however, a good Italian butcher will offer a wide selection. It is a very high-quality meat sliced thinly for consumption it is an ideal entree or part of a charcuterie board pre-dinner snack.

What is Prosciuttini and Cappacuolo?

They are both cured meats from pork, but where Prosciuttini is aged meat, Cappacuolo from the neck or shoulder of the pig the coppa muscle.

Cappacuolo can be ready within 6 months and comes in a casing like salami as it is a traditional dry-cured, cold-cut Italian meat. It is ready faster and is a muscle meat dry-cured and served in very thin slices. The term Cappacuolo came from two Italian words capo or head and collo or neck.

The Cappacuolo is more muscular and very tender and after a time it is easy to tell the two apart.

Prosciuttini and Cappacuolo

Prosciuttini is slightly fatty and comes from the hind leg of the pig. and is a dry-cured Italian ham. Whereas Cappacuolo is fat-free muscle meat that literally melts in the mouth.

Both types of meat can be enjoyed as a part of an Antipasta selection with vegetables, olives, and cheeses. Because Prosciuttini is aged under safe conditions you don’t need to cook it and can slice and eat it raw as the aging process and the salt kill all the bacteria in the meat.

Pronouncing Prosciuttini

When you say Proscuitto or Proscuittini it has a ‘hard C’ like we would pronounce ‘Q’ we would say PROSQTINI when saying it phonetically.

Taste of Cappacuolo

Cappacuolo is full of flavor and is dry cured and thinly sliced it is not fattening and can be eaten with any vegetable or on your charcuterie board often with Prosciuttini.

Homemade Prosciuttini Recipe

Prosciuttini or 'small prosciutto' in Italian, is a dried and salted spicy ham, sliced or inpieces. Taken from the hind leg of the pig, like normal ham it is not smoked but cured for between 7- 30 months. Prosciuttini is also called black pepperham or known as spiced prosciutto.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 30 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 kg boneless 'green' ham
• Premixed curing salt blend
• Curing Salt ( 0,25%) of meat weight
• 1-2 tbsp ground coarse black pepper

Instructions

 

Method

• Trim meat, and shape it to your desired finished product.
• Mix together thesalts and seasoning, using the Premix salts saves getting the ratios right.
• Rub the entire surface of the meat with the seasoning.
• Place in a zip lockbag to cure in the fridge for 14 days. During this time turn the bag over every 2 days.

Prepare for Drying

• The surface should remain sticky to create a bond with the dried membrane.
• Coat with mixed dry curing spices (brand of your choice), then tie to shape, and massage the spices onto the surface. A sticky coating is required to bond with the membrane, and if making a rolled Pancetta then roll and tie followed by re-moisturizing the surface.

Dry Sealing

• Record start weight and estimate finish weight by placing weights on stickers on Prosciuttini.
• Place the meat on arack in the fridge to rest on a wire rack ensuring good circulation to the surface of the meat.
• The meat will lose 35-40% of its original weight during this time which is between 30 to 110 days.

Keyword cappacuolo, prosciuttini

Tips and Tricks for Prosciuttini Recipe

The first time that you cure your Prosciuttini can be quite daunting, and I strongly recommend that you use a Premixed curing salt blend, and ironically Kosher salt is excellent. Any dry-curing coating spices are also available pre-mixed.

To be cautious, slightly over-curing is better than not curing enough, you will soon become adept at the process.

Nutritional Information of Prosciuttini Recipe

15-gram serving contains about 25-30 calories = about 2 slices

5 mg of cholesterol around 40% fat.

59% protein

1% carbohydrate

8 grams sodium

The nutritional facts make Prosciuttini an ideal lunch for those on a weight loss program, as long as there are no pre-existing health conditions present. Because it is sliced so thinly it is perfect with vegetable platters to add some flavor to your salad.

Prosciuttini can also be paired with a fruit platter as it lends itself to the sweetness of fruit like pears, grapes, and apples and all the melons, mangoes, and stone fruits.

Pizza is much tastier when Prosiuttini is added as it enhances the flavor much more than a plain Proscuitto does. So if you enjoy cooking try it on your next Pizza topping, and because there is some fat in it, it tends to become crispy in a hot oven releasing the flavors into the Pizza.

Conclusion

Prosciuttini is full of flavor and tastes great part due to all the pepper on it, and because it is not smoked it is much healthier for you to eat.

The good news is that it goes well with nearly everything, and lasts for a long time in the fridge. The curing process is similar to salami another popular Italian cured aged meat. According to early evidence, the origins of the curing process go back 1000s of years to a time when the Romans used to stock up on salted meat for their military expeditions in the provinces of Italy. Since that time the Italians have perfected the technique and now we can make our own Prosciuttini at home, using quite simple and available techniques.