More and more, Americans are getting to know authentic Italian prosciutto, gaining an understanding of its differences from regular American ham.
Cotto or crudo, prosciutto has found its place in the United States – served as appetizers or with an aperitivo-style menu, served among a variety of salty and sweet dishes, such as prosciutto crudo as a pizza topping or to accompany a side of seasonal fresh fruit.
To learn more about this Italian delicacy, we spoke with a prosciutto expert: Italian restaurateur, author, and educator Cesare Casella. A Dean of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Center, he is also the founder of Casella’s Salumi in Upstate New York, where he uses Italian techniques to create cured-on-the-bone prosciutti, which he distributes in restaurants and to specialty grocers, both nationally and online.
Cesare Casella
So that we could get all the secrets to quality prosciutto (from crudo to cotto), we asked Chef Casella a few questions on the subject. Here’s what he shared with La Cucina Italiana – plus a few tips on serving it and pairing it:
Chef Casella, why did you decide to switch from being a restaurateur and chef to a producer of prosciutto and salami in the USA?
Salumi is in my roots, and it was part of our annual tradition growing up. Every year, my grandfather would get a pig, that we would name “Mimmo” – and in the winter, Mimmo would become salumi. Even when I still had the restaurant, I was doing some curing. Then one day, the opportunity presented itself to start scaling up, making my own salumi here in New York. After spending my whole life in the restaurant (I was practically born in our family’s trattoria), I was ready for something new.
At Casella, we are inspired by the old norcini, traveling butchers that would go town to town helping farmers and families to butcher their animals and turn them into salumi. They carried so much knowledge with them and it always felt magical when they would come to our home growing up. I wanted my prosciutti to honor their tradition.
Prosciutto topping on pizza, San Matteo NYC
Could you explain the main differences between prosciutto crudo and cotto?
Cotto, which means cooked, is brined and steamed. Crudo is cured, normally in salt for a few days, then aged at different temperatures and humidity levels. When I was growing up, when you went to the store and asked for cotto, you didn't have to specify that it was prosciutto.
What’s the most extravagant thing you’ve cooked with prosciutto?
I like to make peanut brittle with pieces of prosciutto inside. It's a good pairing of sweet and salty. Another combination I like is to take slices of prosciutto and cook them at a low temperature until they get crispy. Then I serve them as a garnish on top of a Bloody Mary, cooked at a low temperature so it gets crispy. For events, one of the things I like to do is make a fountain with prosciutto slices.
Cesare Casella
How do you suggest serving prosciutto as an appetizer? What does it combine with best?
My favorite way to enjoy prosciutto would be under a tree of fresh, ripe figs. Freshly-picked sweet figs with the salty prosciutto and some warm crusty bread. A glass of wine couldn’t hurt. If you don’t have a tree full of ripe figs at the ready, warm bread and good wine will still do the trick.
You claim that your prosciutto is made by following the Italian tradition, but American pigs are used in the process. Can you tell us more about bringing the USA and Italy together in the prosciutto-making process?
Good prosciutto in Italy means it comes from quality meat and it’s cured with centuries of knowledge and tradition behind it. Here in the USA, we have some independent family farmers who are dedicated to raising heritage breeds. They are dedicated to old-world practices and all the pigs are pasture-raised. For my prosciutti, we source only from these dedicated farmers. Then, the hams are cured Italian-style, with simplicity – just the highest quality pork, salt, and time.
How are American prosciutti different from the Italian variety?
Many of the most well-known styles of prosciutto that are imported to the US – such as prosciutto di Parma, di San Daniele, etc. – are required to use a certain breed to ensure the hams consistently have specific qualities. They might work with pasture animals and local breeds like cinta senese or nebrodi.