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Culatello di Zibello
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Description
Name: Culatello di Zibello.
Product type: Cured pork product.
Raw material: Taken from the boned thigh of a pig and is resewn into a pear shape.
Curing: From 10 to 12 months, in a cool place.
Production area: Parma's Bassa Parmense area.
Denomination: DOP (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta - Protected Designation of Origin) cured meat.
Note: Culatello should be softened in wine for at least a couple of days before consumption.It is served with a few fine curls of butter.
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HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF CURED MEATS |
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The lowlands of Parma, along the right bank of the river Po, are celebrated by good-food lovers for their ancient culinary traditions. One of the most noteworthy of the latter is Culatello di Zibello, regarded as the king of cured meats and celebrated by poets, writers and musicians for over four centuries.
Taken from the thigh of an adult pig, after boning it is resewn by expert hands into its classic pear shape.
The next step involves salting the meat and slipping it into a sleeve, ensuring no air penetrates. Finally the Culatello is tied as tradition dictates, with a network of string.
At this point the "king" is ready for curing, relishing the humidity given off by the river Po in this lowland stretch of Italy. To become the great Culatello di Zibello one would expect, this cured meat requires winter cold and summer heat, as well as eleven months' curing, which often borders on 18 months.
You can't hurry sampling its delights because it needs time to soften. This process begins by removing the outside string with which it was bound, then washing the Culatello under running water and soaking it in red wine for 2-3 days. After this the skin is removed and the excess fat trimmed. After all this it is time to slice it. If it is too dry, simply serve it with a few curls of butter and complete the feast with some fresh bread and a good glass of still wine, such as Chianti.
Once opened, Culatello should be kept moist by wrapping it up in a cloth and storing it in a cool place, preferably not the refrigerator.
The production area includes the municipalities of Busseto, Polesine Parmense, Zibello, Soragna, Roccabianca, San Secondo, Sissa and Colorno. The Consorzio di tutela (producers' association) has laid out a number of strict regulations to control processing, curing and the origins of meat used to produce Culatello. Accordingly, all Culatello is stamped before the eleventh month of curing period, which is followed by final quality tests. Because of the typical artisan processing involved, there are only a limited number of producers.
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