CASENTINO HAM
An Excellence of the Territory:
From Grey Pig to Casentino Ham.
The Casentino Grey pig is an indigenous pig that had been lost over the centuries and is now revived through the Casentino Ham Presidium.
The Presidium, has recovered the ancient tradition starting with research on the raw material and then trying to reproduce the ancient breeds. These pigs are derived from exclusively first-generation crosses between Large White or Landrace or Duroc breeds, with Cinta Senese or Mora Romagnola breeds .
BE WARY OF IMITATIONS!!!
The real “PROSCIUTTO DEL CASENTINO” has stamped on the thigh the firebrand mark of the “Consorzio Prosciutto Casentino”
SLOW FOOD PRESIDIUM
The product has been recognized as a Slow Food Presidium by the Slow Food Foundation, which works to safeguard biodiversity.
These animals, following the rules of a strict specification, are raised according to the traditional free-range system: thediet consists mainly of undergrowth products (such as acorns, chestnuts, mushrooms, roots), and supplemented with grains and legumes.
According to the Specification, pigs are slaughtered only when they reach a minimum weight of 120, 160 kilograms and in any case not earlier than 14 months.
On the legs of each pig, an identification code must be affixed in order to ensure the traceability of the raw material. This type of operation, is carried out by the APA of Arezzo, which is responsible for checking the product so that the directions of the Specification are followed.
The meat, as per genetics, turns out to be brightly colored, intensely flavored, with a good percentage of candid fat.
Preparation
The Specification, following the traditional recipe, stipulates that pork legs, slaughtered in the winter period from October 1 to March 31 and after refrigeration for at least 24 hours, are trimmed, massaged and salted.
Salting mixture is prepared with salt, garlic, and, if desired, other spices (pepper, chili pepper, nutmeg, and ground juniper). After five to seven days, residual salt is removed from the surface and massaged again.
This is then followed by a second salting, which lasts for about two weeks. Excess salt is again removed and the ham is left to mature for 40-50 days.
At this stage, it was traditionally hung in the kitchen, in the warmth of the fireplace: this is why a slight taste of natural smoke (obtained from oak, beech and, to a lesser extent, juniper wood) is also allowed.
After curing, which cannot last less than 18 months, the ham is ready.
The shape of Casentino ham is round, slightly elongated and tending to flat, and the weight ranges from 9 to 12 kilograms.
When cut, it is a beautiful bright red color with a good percentage of candid fat.
The aroma is intense and penetrating and the taste delicate, sometimes with final smoky notes.
PROTECTION AND QUALITY CONTROL
The “Casentino Ham Consortium” and the recognition of the product as a “Slow Food Presidium”
The Casentino Ham Consortium, was formed by local authorities in the area to act as a protection and control body for the purpose of safeguarding Casentino Ham and the Casentino Gray Pig from which it comes.
The existence of this exquisite ham, was traced as a result of studies of nineteenth-century historical texts, in which they told of the production of fine Casentino hams, which were shipped even to Germany and England, obtained according to ancient local recipes and from thighs of native pigs with a browned coat.
The Consortium has brought back to life the breed of Casentino Grey Swine, which was originally indigenous to the area, and the subsequent drafting of a strict Specification for the making of the ham. The Specification is dual, meaning that it covers both pig breeding and thigh processing, and therefore goes to monitor all the cycles of the supply chain: from breed identification, free-range breeding, pig feeding to meat processing and curing.
CASENTINO HAM IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK.