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Whole Prosciutto

Harry_Dangler

Extreme Member
I just received a whole Galloni Prosciutto di Parma via Di Palo's NYC from some of my colleagues in Italy.  It's 17 lbs. I'm not sure how to process it or if I need to do anything.  We love prosciutto but I've always bought it thinly sliced.  Any input would be appreciated.
 

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If you have a good relationship with a butcher, have them slice it up super paper thin, then vacuum pack it in smaller packets and into the freezer. Use as desired and make sure to tip that butcher....

Also, you may want to have a couple thick slices that can be diced up for things like Carbonara, omelets, rendered and in a salad....

Have fun and Enjoy!
SL
 
do what Mike said and go all caveman on it!  :lol:  
 
do what SL said. if you don`t know a butcher then get a sharp knife and slice as thin as possible, vacuum seal and freeze what you won`t use during the holidays. Prosciutto is my wife`s favorite coldcut.
 
salsalady said:
If you have a good relationship with a butcher, have them slice it up super paper thin, then vacuum pack it in smaller packets and into the freezer. Use as desired and make sure to tip that butcher....

Also, you may want to have a couple thick slices that can be diced up for things like Carbonara, omelets, rendered and in a salad....

Have fun and Enjoy!
SL
Thanks SL ..... good advice.  
 
Prosciutto wrapped poppers are pretty fantastic . I buy the end pieces that deli counter can't cut for nice slices to use in cooking often. finely diced or grind to add to meat sauce, meatballs . If you can find good muskmelon/cantaloupe it is awesome wrapped around a slice of that. Works with watermelon or nice ripe avocado too.
 
Freezing prosciutto is usually not recommended. It will last a year sealed before you cut into it, and then you have 40 days refrigerated. A knife is fine if you have good skills. It's a lot of ham you have there so you may need to freeze slices after all. But you may want to freeze some chunks as well, that you can thaw and take to a butcher at a later time. I believe the chunks will freeze better than thin slices which will lose a lot of the qualities of the ham. 
 
hogleg said:
 
You need a J. Marttiini Rapala filet knife in your life
 
 
 
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Rapala 
 
 
 
Long live Finnish knives!
 
Seriously, a filet knife is way too flexible to slice prosciutto - you need something like a japanese "yanagiba" (single bevel blade for doing thin slices).
 
I have this one (MAC FKW-10) 11 1/2" blade:
 
FKW-10.jpg
 
Beautiful knife.

A much less expensive option that would work almost as well would be a Mercer wavy edge slicer or slightly more a Victorinox graton slicer.
 
Now is a great time to by a meat slicer. Unless you have mad knife skills you will not do it justice. Even paper thin wrapper around cantaloupe or other fruits is amazing as is wrapped around certain veggies or rolled up and used on a meat/cheese late.
 
Don't know about Carbonara as prosciutto is fairly lean. Guanchalai is usually king here (pancetta can work as a substitute as it is made from the belly) and has fat that will render out and be the base for the eggs yokes, cheese, pasta water to mix with to make the sauce. Carbonara does not use milk, cream or ham.
 
With that said you have a lot of prosciutto to use so you'll have a to get creative. Also consider getting a vacuum sealer if you do not have one. Since the meat is cured vacuum sealing and refrigerating once cut it'll extend the life for a year +/-. 
 
We ended up buying the Beswood 250 10" meat slicer and thinly sliced, vacuum sealed, and froze most of that F'er.  In the picture the slicer has been disassembled for cleaning.  It was a lot of processing and a lot of meat.  Sliced a few thin steaks to chop up to add to stuff too.  Great advice from everybody.   
 

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