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f a l l 2 0 1 6 | 4 9 PERFECTION To Make Prosciutto di Parma, the Only Ingredients Required Are Specially-Bred Pork, Italian Sea Salt, Fresh Air and Time by Christine Havens The only thing that can make a perfectly wood-fired pizza better? Prosciutto di Parma, which shines across the menu at Pasquale Jones in New York City. PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG piglets are born until they reach an ideal weight to be slaughtered. Their feed includes cereal grains and whey, a byproduct of Parmigiano-Reggiano production—Parma's other great contribution to the culinary world—which lends subtle and nuanced sweet and nutty undertones to the ham's flavor. Every step in the process demands meticulous attention to detail; the hams are tagged with a button indicating the date they begin to cure, and a master salter hand rubs an exact amount of salt into each leg. From there, the legs are stored in a refrigerated room for 100 days; this step mimics wintertime conditions used before the advent of refrigera- tion. Next, the legs are moved to large, airy curing hall where they are exposed to sweet maritime breezes that are unique to Parma. Finally, a mixture of lard, rice flour, salt and pepper is applied to the exposed muscle of the ham, helping to keep the meat tender. After a minimum of 400 days, the legs are inspected by inserting a sharp piece of horse bone into the ham, checking them for any off aromas. If the ham passes inspection, it may be sold as a bone-in ham, deboned and sold boneless or in pre-sliced packages bearing the coveted Parma Crown. FROM PARMA TO PLATE William Marshall, whose first love, he admits, is cheese, is the retail manager at cult foodie favorite Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "It's a beautiful product," he says with gusto. "How many other products, aside from wine or cheese, require no processing, no cooking or embellishment, and can be enjoyed on their own?" The deli counter at Zinger- man's utilizes hams with minimal waste: "We find out what our guests want. For a char- cuterie board, we hand-slice the prosciutto into long, even strips that look great mounded alongside a selection of cheeses and seasonal fruit like melon or figs." The small end of the ham, he elaborates, "is more suitable for cooking. We love to wrap it around asparagus, or dice it as a topping for pasta, pizza or hearty soups."