Proscuito
Comments:
Prosciutto is a cured Italian ham originally hailing from the region of Parma. Usually served sliced paper thin with figs, fruit or cheese, it is a staple of Italian cuisine.
Contributed by:
Smoky
First, you get yourself a hind quarter of a hog. Then you weigh up the ham. Chill to 34-36 degrees. Mix up:
 7 lbs. of fine ground pickling salt -- no iodine
1 lb 14 oz. of fine white sugar
2 oz. of potassium nitrate
Mix this very, very well. Then mix it some more.
For each 10 lbs of ham weight, measure out 1/10th of the mixture (l lb.) Be accurate. Then separate that amount into halves.
Put the ham in a non reactive container -- wood, stainless steel or ceramic, then rub one of the portions into the ham. All parts - especially the ends, concentrating on the meat, rather than fat. Rub all of it in --- thoroughly.
Put the ham in a wooden or plactic container on a rack 2-3" from the bottom -- skin side up. Rack must be non reactive too. Cover the ham & container with a cloth and store between 36 and 40 degrees F.
After 6 - 8 days, take the ham out, resalt it using the other 1/2 of salt AND 4 oz ground allspice,3 T. ground nutmeg, 2 T. ground mustard, 2 T. ground coriander. Drain any fluids from the container and put the ham back on the rack skin side down. Maintain temperature for 1 1/2 days per lb. of ham. If the temperature is closer to 36 for most of the time, increase the time to 2 days per lb.
Remove the ham and scrub with warm water and dry carefully. Then coat the ham thoroughly with a heavy coat of fresh ground black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, coriander and mustard.
Hang in a dry cool room (50-60 degrees) for at least 30 days.
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