It all starts with selection
The fresh hind legs are selected on the basis of strict quality and size standards, in order to ensure a product of uniform size and quality. They are then left chilled for 24 hours so they can be processed more easily.
The prosciutto takes shape...
The hind legs firmed up by the cold are trimmed by removing some of the fat, muscles and rind, to give it the typical shape of the prosciutto.
... then its meets the salt
The leg is massaged to prepare it for the first salting, at the end of which the prosciutto is left to rest for a week in a "first salt" cell at a temperature of between 1 and 4 degrees. After seven days, the process is repeated for a second salting. The duration of the entire salting phase will depend on the weight of the leg: one day per kilogram.
The waiting prepares the product
The prosciuttos are then desalted, massaged and groomed, or finished in the cut, and hung on frames to dry in resting cells, at a temperature of 4.5 degrees. At the end of this phase, the absorbed salt has penetrated deep and evenly into the muscle mass and the prosciuttos are washed with lukewarm water to eliminate any salt crystallization. The next phase is drying and it takes about 7 days, during which the products lose their moisture and then they are ready to undergo pre-curing for about 2 months.
...to be protected
Then comes the sealing phase. This process involves sprinkling the part of the leg not protected by the rind with lard, a mixture of fat, black pepper and rice flour. The aim is to not make the meat too dry, and therefore to soften the superficial muscle layers and keep the moisture of the entire leg uniform.
...and finally left to cure
THE FELINO PLANT
The Felino plant houses the production of Crudo di Parma and Crudo Gran Milano. More than 100 windows allow the Marino (wind from the sea) to enter and create the perfect microclimate for curing. The windows are opened and closed, the prosciuttos moved, so that everything is perfect and harmonious. Time will do the rest.
