I understand if you think prosciutto ends are useless, and the only thing you can do with them is to feed your dog. But the truth is that each bit of prosciutto can be turned into something mouthwatering when you know the trick.
So, what to do with prosciutto ends?
There are many things you can do with prosciutto ends. For example, throw them into soup or salad, make a bone stock, pair them with scrambled eggs, or stuff them into a calzone. Each of these dishes is equally finger-licking. If you want a bit of kick, top it on pizza or pair it with risotto.
If you are an experienced cook, you obviously know your ways around prosciutto ends. However, if you are new to this type of meat recipe, the following article can be your guide. It will show you what miracles you can do with prosciutto ends.
What To Do With Prosciutto Ends?
Shopping packaged prosciutto or processing one at home both are win deals.
Why won’t it be? You can use every bit of the prosciutto and turn it into a tasty meal.
Moreover, the long preservation time of the prosciutto allows you to enjoy the meat in any upcoming months without any spoilage.
My family is a big fan of prosciutto. Hence, I always keep trying new dishes and recipes with this cured meat. Here are the ones I came up on what to cook with prosciutto ends,
1. Getting Stocked
The bone of the prosciutto end can be turned into a flavorsome stock. That too with a few easy steps.
First, boil the bone with vegetables and water. Next, add whatever herbs and spice you want to your stock and simmer for a few more minutes. Now your stock is ready.
You can use this prosciutto stock in making soups and sauces. The bone will add nutritional value to your meal and make it finger-licking good.
2. Tasty Breakfast
Do you like scrambled eggs or omelets for your everyday breakfast? If yes, I recommend pairing your egg with the prosciutto ends. The savoriness with a hint of saltiness and sweetness of the prosciutto will add a mouthful flavor to your scrambled egg.
3. Prosciutto Bread
Have you ever tried prosciutto bread? You are missing out on life if your answer is a NO!
For baking a prosciutto bread, prepare the dough following the same old traditional methods. Add small prosciutto cubes to the dough and place the mix in the oven. Enjoy this meaty bread once the baking is done.
Mix some spices and herbs with the dough to make the bread more flavorful. You can also add mushroom or cheese to the bread to experience the bursting of flavor in your mouth.
You can also add the prosciutto chunks to your calzone. It will give a smoky flavor with a meaty aroma.
4. Why Not On Pizza?
You might not know, but prosciutto pizza is a thing. It is even tastier than the traditional sausage or pepperoni pizza.
To enjoy a prosciutto pizza, you have to throw the ends on the pizza top and place it for baking. The roasted prosciuttos add a smoky, crunchy, and crispy texture to the pizza.
5. Prosciutto & Risotto
Risotto, the northern Italian rice dish, is itself a package of flavor. Adding prosciutto chunks to the rice will make it meatier, offering the meal a balanced saltiness and sweetness.
However, avoid putting big pieces of prosciutto in the rice if you do not want to chew for the most part.
6. Signature Meatballs
Prosciutto ends can be processed to meatballs easily with the grinding machine. You can make a perfectly delicious batch of meatballs by adding the right amount of spices, herbs, and binders.
7. Seasoning Dishes
If you have a big chunk of prosciutto, pair it up with salad, puree, or sauces. The cured meat will act as a seasoning here and make the dish more wholesome.
8. Prosciutto Saute
Saute prosciutto ends with mushroom, vegetables, and onions feel heavenly in your mouth. You can try this recipe as a side dish or use it to create pasta sauce.
9. Yummy Tomato Soup
Adding prosciutto cubes to the hot tomato soup is really worth a try. The soup’s meaty texture and nose-tickling aroma will make you crave more.
10. Experiment With Anything
I would not dare to limit the recipe of prosciutto. You can literally put this cured meat into any recipe you try. For example, having lentils for tonight? Throw a few small chunks of prosciutto in the pot and wait for a mouthwatering dish.
You can add the raw prosciutto to any recipe you want. From cooking peas to cabbage, this cured meat will enhance the flavor and aroma of your meal.
You can remove the prosciutto pieces afterward if you do not want to chew on half-cooked raw meat.
What Can I Do With Thick Cut Prosciutto?
Thick-cut prosciutto is not the end of the world, and you can still make a delicious recipe out of the chunk. I have seen my friends offering extra meat to the dogs to avoid waste.
There is nothing wrong with feeding your dogs prosciuttos. Even the pets enjoy the salty meat. But why not try out a new recipe?
In fact, endless recipes are waiting for you where you can use the prosciutto ends. All you have to do is to cut the thick meat into small cubes.
Take the example of antipasto salad. The meal is stuffed with vegetables, olives, and mushrooms. Adding prosciutto cubes will add a meatier and chewy texture to the salad.
Again, you can slice the prosciutto into thin strips and replace the bacon bits.
Recently, I explored a recipe where the chef blended the prosciutto with spice and herbs and used it for dumplings. The paste will also do wonders for pasta.
Nevertheless, there is no rule saying that you have to finish the prosciutto meat now. In fact, you can store the properly cured prosciutto meat for months.
Thus, if you have leftovers, wrap them in foil and freeze them at a chilly temperature. However, dispose of the meat if the label says otherwise.
Can You Eat Prosciutto Without Cooking It?
Prosciuttos can be of two types, Cotto and Crudo. While Cotto ham requires cooking, you can have Crudo raw. But yes, a little heat will not do any harm.
You may make faces imagining eating raw meat. But in reality, the Crudo prosciuttos are dry-cured.
The main prosciutto ingredient is high-quality pork leg. First, this meat is dry-cured for weeks in salt, and only then can you eat it raw.
Dry curing, or curing with salt, is one of the old food preservation methods. The salt efficiently extracts the moisture and blood from the meat, leaving clean and dry meat fibers.
In addition, the lack of fluid eliminates the risk of bacterial growth and outbreak. As a result, there is no harm in having the prosciutto raw.
Though people are comfortable with eating dry-cured salami or sausages, having raw prosciutto might seem disturbing to many. It is okay to grill, bake or boil the meat before taking a bite.
Cooking will not mess up the taste of the prosciutto. In fact, adding herbs and spices will enhance the flavor.
Can You Grind Prosciutto?
The best thing about prosciutto is you can enjoy them in different ways. For example, put the sliced prosciutto in your bread. It will make the sandwich tastier and meatier than ever.
Again, you can use the prosciutto in your pasta by making a paste out of this cured meat. To make a prosciutto paste, you have to blend the meat in a grinder using a ⅜ die.
Putting species and herbs in the paste will add richness in both texture and flavor to it. You can use the prosciutto blend as a spread for your bread or cracker.
Grinding prosciutto is effortless if you select the correct grinding die. Otherwise, you will be left with chunky meat, neither suitable as spread nor as a paste.
Do You Have To Cook Sliced Prosciutto?
It is totally up to you whether you want to cook your prosciutto or want to eat it raw. Prosciuttos come in different types, Crudo and Cotto.
Of course, if you have Cotto on your hand, you should cook the meat before taking a mouthful bite. However, on the other hand, you can enjoy the Crudo or raw prosciuttos without cooking.
Though people tag prosciutto as raw, it is not entirely true. The ham undergoes a dry-curing process, where the blood and moisture are drawn out from the tendrils and fibers utilizing salt.
Those coarse salt particles also cancel out bacterial growth possibilities and allow you to store the prosciutto for months. As there is zero risk of bacterial outbreak and no blood inside the meat, what harm would it be to eat the slices uncooked?
Nevertheless, it is always suggested not to cook the prosciutto at a high temperature. Exposure to an elevated temperature will overcook the meat and make it hard to chew. Instead, grill the prosciutto on a mild heat and enjoy a smoky and juicy meaty steak.
Final Thoughts
I hope you clearly know what to do with prosciutto ends. The best way to utilize the leftovers is to make slices and use them as a sandwich filler.
If not, then cube the thick chunk and put it in any dish you are cooking. However, you can always store the prosciutto when you are not in the mood to cook.
