Speck Alto Adige PGI

Referred to as Speck Alto Adige product is a cured ham, which is lightly smoked and matured for at least 22 weeks. The salt content shall not exceed five percent. It is prepared similarly to the traditional methods. The meat is subject to strict controls - there are fat percentage, temperature and pH evaluated. Speck Alto Adige PGI is since 1996 the EU a protected geographical indication. Previously South Tyrolean bacon was a regional specialty, today the name for marketing reasons is used for a mass product.

Production

For the ham lean pork legs are used which mostly come from pigs that have been fattened and slaughtered in the Netherlands or Denmark. The ham is separated as opposed to in front of the Parma ham production from the leg bones. There are versions with upper shell or without them. As a production control after the rind is provided with a fire seal. After the meat is seasoned, this mixture ( inter alia salt, pepper, rosemary, bay leaves and juniper ) is not standardized, so that flavor differences are not a quality defect. Following the hams are dried for three weeks in the refrigerator. The treatment of the flesh to speed up the production as Spritzpökeln are prohibited. The taste of the South Tyrolean bacon arises in the following smoking process. Here, the cold smoking is performed at max.20 ° C. In the following weeks the ham matures at max. 15 ° C. This results in a ( medically safe ) layer of mold which gives the meat a nutty flavor. At the end of maturation it is washed off. After quality control the finished hams are provided with the trademark.

South Tyrolean bacon

This specialty will be prepared in a similar manner. The main feature is the quality, which is produced by the pigs that are kept humanely on small-scale farms in South Tyrol and fed specially selected foods. The results are pigs that result in a particularly brittle bacon. In contrast to the South Tyrolean bacon and other meat parts of the animal to be processed.