Preservation of Culatello di Zibello

It is important to consume Culatello when it reaches the right grade of maturing and to do some devices that will allow not only a better tasting, but above all a perfect preservation.

When the product is still whole, you have to preserve it hung in wet places, dark and less aired, as the cellar; also short expositions to excessive heat sources can compromise the qualities of the product, especially the hydration of meat and the pleasantness of fat.

It is also better to avoid too much cold places, but in absence of suitable places you can decide to preserve whole cold cut also in conveniently regulated refrigerators. It is good to highlight that, if you adapt this solution, the product could mainly be exposed to the development of moulds due to the absence of ventilation.

Whole Culatello di Zibello doesn’t have to be enveloped in a transparent foil, while it is suggested to grease the surface in a light way with extra virgin olive oil and to envelop it in a canvas of dry linen.

Now look at to the cut: if you bought a very matured Culatello (recognized because it is harder to the touch), you have to free it from its resistant hemp cord and to carefully brush Culatello in order to clean it from moulds and from dirtiness which is laid down on skin and finally to rinse it with running water.

Then you can try to dry-peel Culatello, but a practice that is recommended is to soften it and to leave it to stand soak in a container with white dry wine for 2-3 days.

When natural bowel will be rehydrated and will be soft, you can deprive the cold cut from its skin, cropping it well and taking away its more external parts of fat.

At this point Culatello di Zibello can finally be cut in thin slices and you can start to slice starting from the extremity of bigger size.

According to the experts, it is possible to cut the product by hand, but for those who aren’t skilled, it is suggested the use of the slicer, which allows to obtain slices less thin.

When it is cut, an useful suggestion is to avoid that the cold cut dries off: you can do that smearing with olive oil or with butter the cut part and to wrap it up in a towel, preferably of linen. As an alternative it can be wrapped up in the transparent foil or in a vacuum-sealed package, if you have difficulties in order to finish the product as soon as possible.

It is important to preserve it in a cool place, if it is possible not in the refrigerator (it is better the cellar).

As for the most cold cuts, it would be better to slice the product at the moment of the consumption rather that to preserve it still sliced and to consume it after some days.