Making Prosciutto with skin off (Wrapping in butcher paper?)

curingdryingfood-preservationham

Can I make prosciutto if my ham has no skin? Will this be a problem? I was going to try it anyway but the question becomes, do I just coat the whole ham in struto? And then do I wrap it in butcher paper or double wrap it in cheesecloth?

Best Answer

I don't want to discourage you, but given your other question on pancetta, it appears that you are both new to curing and lack the ideal curing conditions. Making a prosciutto is much more challenging. Ideal conditions are necessary. To specifically answer your question, you definitely want the skin on. Think about it. A cured ham has to hang for a year or more. You are going to want that layer of skin to help regulate the drying and protect the fat and meat. If it were me, I would either enjoy it fresh, or (depending on what you have) butcher it into smaller muscles, cure, tie, and hang those.