HELP!!

M

marg-now-in-nc

Enthusiast Member
I have a 5 1/2 lb piece of proscuitto. I didn't realize when I ordered it that it would be so enormous and quite frankly I didn't expect something so large. Now the question: What do I make with all this wonderful cured meat? I can take it to work and slice some on the slicer, and cube some for Carbonara, but since I am here alone, and in a community that has no idea what to do with delightful Italian food, I can't even give it to my co workers with a clear conscience. Can I freeze it? Any help would be so appreciated greatly.

thanks

margi

 
Marg, I buy proscuitto in 4-oz. packages. I can't really picture a piece that size.

But well-wrapped, it should keep several weeks in the fridge. And yes, you can freeze it. Maybe pack it in recipe portions--i.e. cubed for 1 recipe of carbonara, and freeze that way.

If you give it to coworkers do it as a platter of asparagus, or figs, or melon wrapped in the ham. You'll win friends and converts.

I hope your move went OK and you are settling in. Nice to hear from you!

 
Hi Joe,

Yes, I usually buy it at 1/4 lb increments as well.
So when this ginormous piece of meat showed up at my door this morning from NY, I was a tad taken aback. it measures about 12 inches across and 5 deep. Taking it to work (unless it's to just slice it) is not an option. Most of my co-workers will not eat anything they don't know about. Plus so many of them won't touch pork, so rather than have the problem of waste I would just as soon not offer it up. I actually moved here 2,1/2 years ago, and for some reason just don't feel like I "live" here. I still have most of my stuff up north because I am just not sure if I want to call NC home. I know it sounds weird, but I just can't help but feel like I am on an extended visit.

 
Wow! That is a lot of proscuitto smileys/bigsmile.gif. When I and DH

visited Italy a few years ago, we brought home a lot of Parmesan cheese, espresso coffee beans and proscuitto. (Not nearly 5,5 pounds tho smileys/wink.gif

We froze everything, and it worked fine.

When I buy proscuitto now, I usually put it on home made pizza.
Since I eat vegetarian food and DH is a hard core carnivore, I make a vegetarian pizza, I bake it and after taking it out of the oven I put a few slices of proscuitto on DH's half of the pizza. The trick is to put the proscuitto on AFTER it's baken (if not, the cured meat will come out really dry and rubbery).
I learned this from an Italian pizza baker many, many years ago.

 
I've lived in Phoenix nearly 28 years now. I still consider myself a San Diegan.

For the longest time I considered it an "exile", but I'm much less dramatic about it now. I totally understand the "extended visit" mentality!

Michael

 
Marg, I was confusing my Margs. Marg CDN is in the middle of a move.. It's still

nice to hear from you!

 
Thanks everyone!!

I will bring it to work this weekend to slice some of it, and happily, I also had some polenta delivered and will make the polenta with the mushrooms and proscuitto on Sunday, as a birthday treat, to me! Then I can freeze it with a clear conscience knowing that it won't get funky in the freezer. I have a vac system that I can do it in.

 
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