Croatian Pršut
Croatian Pršut is an air-dried raw ham from Dalmatia and Istria with an intense, spicy aroma. It is cold-smoked and aged in fresh sea air, which gives it its distinctive character. The combination of the Bura wind and beech smoke makes it a culinary speciality.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparation and Curing
10–14 daysLeave the bone in the leg. Mix all dry ingredients, stir with red wine into a paste and massage generously into the meat. Press under a weight (at least 5 kg) at 4–6 °C. Turn every 2 days and rub again with the salt mixture.
Cold Smoking
3–5 smoking sessions of 6–8 hours eachAfter curing, rinse the meat, pat dry and pre-dry in the air for 24 hours. Cold smoke with beech and rosemary wood at 12–18 °C. Allow 24 hours rest between each smoking session.
Air Drying
2–3 monthsHang the ham in a well-ventilated place at 10–15 °C and 65–75% humidity. Draughts promote the drying process. Regularly check the surface for mould.
Long-Term Ageing
7–9 monthsContinue ageing at a constant 14–18 °C and 60–70% humidity. Weight loss should be 35–40%. The surface can be rubbed with olive oil to prevent excessive drying.
Pro Tip
Authentic Pršut is made without curing salt, however the use of nitrite is strongly recommended for food safety in home production. Traditionally it is dried in the Bura bise, the cold north-easterly wind.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.