© beats 3/iStock/Getty Images Plus
© beats 3/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Charcuterie, the French word for assembling cured meat products, refers to artisanal dry cured meat, most commonly of Spanish or Italian origin, which is often served on charcuterie boards along with cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruits. Artisanal meat products have been handcrafted throughout history; prior to the availability of refrigeration and freezing in the home, preserving meat in this way was a necessity. Now artisans and chefs are passionate about reintroducing these products, of which there are more than 600.
My most memorable experience with charcuterie was in Sevilla, Spain. The butcher shaved off a 0.5 kg portion from an Iberian dry-cured ham. The nutty and candy-like flavor of the ham was one of the most delicious things I have ever experienced. Dry-cured ham is a product that has never been heated and does not need to be. It is shelf stable due to salt, time, and temperature. Iberico ham, American dry-cured ham (country ham), prosciutto, and Genoa salami are all examples of charcuterie. Sales of charcuterie-based deli meats and charcuterie packaged snacks in the United States were over $950 million in 2020 and continue to grow at approximately 10% per year, according to Deli Business magazine. Factor in dry-cured ham, prosciutto, and other charcuterie, and the value of charcuterie sales in the United States is from $1–$2 billion annually.
Salt, meat chemistry, temperature, and the environment are used to remove moisture from meat and develop flavor so that charcuterie products have water activity that ensures they are shelf stable and safe to consume without heating. Three factors impact the water activity of meat: 1) the amount of moisture in the product; 2) the solute concentration (salt content); and 3) environmental temperature. Salting meat so that it is uniform throughout the product preserves whole muscle products such as ham. For a 20 lb ham, it takes 40 days (2 days per lb of meat) at refrigerated temperatures for the salt to penetrate to the middle of the ham and preserve it through osmosis. After salt has penetrated the ham, the product is aged to impart the desired flavor profile.
For dried sausages, salt and pH are used to lower the water activity of the meat. Live starter cultures, most often Pediococcus, Micrococcus, and Lactobacillus, are added to the meat during mixing to decrease the pH of the sausage from approximately 5.8 to 5.0, which is the approximate isoelectric point of myosin and actin, the most abundant water-binding proteins in meat. This is the point in which these proteins have the same number of positive and negative charges, which corresponds to their lowest water-holding capacity. This, in conjunction with drying, keeps water activity so that the product is shelf stable. Dextrose is added with the lactic acid bacteria so that they have a food source. Flavor development in charcuterie is due to volatile flavor compound composition, acid content, and non-volatile compound composition, including proteins, fats, and their breakdown products. Microflora in the meat facility, mold (specifically, certain species of Penicillium), animal breed, and animal diet also contribute to flavor.
Dry-cured hams (including prosciutto, Iberian, Serrano) and American country hams go through a three-phase process, described as winter, spring, and summer. Prior to the use of refrigeration, animals were slaughtered during the winter, and hams were rubbed with salt in the natural environment at near refrigeration temperatures. In current practice, hams are first cured with salt (commonly 8 lb of salt per 100 lb of pork) for approximately 40 days at -32˚F to 40˚F, which is described as the winter season. Hams are then exposed to slightly warmer temperatures (generally 50˚F–55˚F) for periods of 10 to 90 days so that the salt distributes equally throughout the ham, a step referred to as equalization, the spring season, or resting. After the spring season, the product is aged, also called ripening or summer. The United States produces artisan dry-cured hams in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Missouri, and Iowa; these dry-cured hams are typically aged anywhere from 90 days to 2 yr.
A layer of lard prevents oxidation and moisture loss during prosciutto production. Photo courtesy of Volpi Foods
A layer of lard prevents oxidation and moisture loss during prosciutto production. Photo courtesy of Volpi Foods
Prosciutto crudo is a thinly sliced dry-cured ham, the most famous of which is prosciutto crudo di Parma from the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. Prosciutto di Parma can be produced only from pigs that are born in Italy and raised according to certain standards. After curing for approximately 6 weeks, Parma hams rest (equalization) at refrigeration temperature for 60 to 90 days prior to aging for 3 mo at environmental temperatures. After aging, the hams are covered with lard and aged for a period of time ranging from a minimum of 400 days from initial salting to as long as 3 yr. The lard layer prevents oxidation and moisture loss and allows proteins to break down to peptides and amino acids to develop the desired flavor and texture over time. The microclimate of the Parma region is said to contribute to prosciutto di Parma’s uniquely sweet flavor.
La Quercia Cured Meats and Volpi Foods are among the U.S. producers of premium prosciutto products, and both prioritize strong relationships with their farm-level suppliers. “It is important to work with the farmers to optimize animal welfare, including open pasture raising,” says Tim Urban, CEO of La Quercia Holdings. A consistent pH and low microbial counts in the raw material are crucial to the quality of the meat, he notes. La Quercia sources product from Iowa farmers, who raise a range of breeds, including Berkshire, Iberian, and Cinta.
“Breed is important because it affects the fatty acid profile in the meat,” Urban explains. “This impacts flavor development during aging by depositing greater concentrations of linoleic acids, which break down into desirable flavor compounds.” Some of La Quercia’s signature products include Jamon Iberico, Cinta Prosciutto, and Acorn Edition Prosciutto—all products that were on my Christmas list for 2021.
“Whole muscle prosciutto is made with two simple ingredients: pork and sea salt,” says Lee Anne Rice, director of quality for Volpi Foods. “Its signature flavor and texture are developed throughout its aging process with subtle adjustments to temperature, humidity, and airflow.”
Volpi works exclusively with farmer partners that meet its Raised Responsibly standards, yielding a better living environment for the hogs, which promotes superior muscle development. Volpi offers multiple prosciutto products, including a Heritage Prosciutto that is sourced from purebred Heritage hogs and undergoes an extended aging time of more than 18 months.
Dried sausages like salami are commonly made from partially frozen pork lean and pork fat, typically from the shoulder, according to Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. The lean and fat are ground separately, and the lean meat is mixed with salt and sometimes curing salt (sodium nitrite) prior to mixing with the fat. The starter culture is then added with other ingredients, including dextrose as a food source for the bacteria, and ingredients that are characteristic of specific sausages. For example, Tuscan salami is characterized by the inclusion of red wine and fennel. After mixing for 1–2 min, the sausage is then stuffed into casings, which are either natural (hog or sheep) or cellulose. The casing can be treated with an antimicrobial solution to lower bacterial counts prior to stuffing. After stuffing, the sausage is commonly maintained at 85˚F for 12 hr to incubate the starter culture and produce lactic acid. After this fermentation period, the sausage is kept at approximately 60˚F and 70% relative humidity for 8 to 90 days, depending on the diameter of the product. The decrease in pH to 5.0 causes a 30% reduction in weight due to water loss, which results in a shelf-stable product.
Sliced Genoa salami with cheese and crackers is packaged at Olli Salumeria. Photo courtesy of Olli Salumeria
Sliced Genoa salami with cheese and crackers is packaged at Olli Salumeria. Photo courtesy of Olli Salumeria
Starter culture composition, spices and ingredients, and product diameter are among the factors that differentiate dried sausage varieties. “Sanitation, starter culture, time, temperature, and humidity are crucial in the development of our signature products, including Genoa salami, sopressata, and calabrese,” says Garret Walsh, director of quality assurance with Olli Salumeria, a U.S.-based dry sausage company with deep roots in artisan meat production in Italy.
The sausage drying room at New England Charcuterie. Photo courtesy of New England Charcuterie
The sausage drying room at New England Charcuterie. Photo courtesy of New England Charcuterie
For award-winning handcrafted artisanal meat maker New England Charcuterie, product quality stems from its use of humanely raised, cage-free pork, says company president Rich Moran. The company’s signature products include dry salami and whole muscle lomo, which is made from pork loin.
Charcuterie product sales got a boost during the pandemic as homebound consumers dabbled in creating appealing charcuterie boards, and that trend is expected to continue, Midan Marketing reports, citing IRI data. Thanks to the influence of social media coupled with the growing number of chefs and meat processors who are passionate about charcuterie, the market forecast for artisan meat products and cheeses looks bright.
Those seeking to learn more about the process of crafting charcuterie products may be interested in a three-day Salumi 101 course offered a few times every year by the American Meat Science Association and several universities. Get more information on the course at meatscience.org/events-education/salumi-101.