Do You Have To Cook Prosciutto?

I am a firm believer that one of life’s greatest pleasures is a really well-put-together charcuterie board and the star of that show for me is always the prosciutto.

This delicacy comes from Italy and is made by salting high-quality pork legs and letting them dry age for months to develop flavor. 

The “cooking” process doesn’t involve any heat, so technically prosciutto is raw meat. And we all know that you shouldn’t eat raw meats due to potential bacteria exposure. But what about prosciutto? Is there an exception for this product?

So, do you have to cook prosciutto? Since it is dry-aged using a salt cure that draws the moisture out of the meat and prevents bacteria from growing, you can enjoy your prosciutto raw. Folks who are pregnant or with weakened immune systems may want to cook their prosciutto just in case. 

Read on to learn more about how prosciutto is made, who should cook it and why, and how to enjoy it raw or cooked! 

What Is Prosciutto?

Prosciutto is my favorite of all the cured meats. It comes from Italy and dates back to pre-Roman times, when Italians would dry age and cure legs of pork to preserve them, so they could have meat during winter.

Considered a salumi (not to be confused with salami), this cured meat is made from high-quality pork legs, salt, and time.

Most prosciutto found at delis, butchers, and grocery stores in North America is the prosciutto crudo form, or raw prosciutto. 

While it isn’t cooked in the typical sense, it is dry-cured using salt. The pork legs are coated in salt and hung to dry for several weeks.

The salt draws out all the blood and moisture from the pork leg, which not only concentrates the flavors but prevents bacteria from growing on the meat. 

There are different ways to make the prosciutto depending on where in Italy it is produced, but mostly it is just a combination of really good quality pork, pure salt, and time that creates this delicate, salty, umami-bomb of flavor.

Each slice is thinly cut for a perfect salty taste and soft texture.

Many producers will leave their prosciutto to dry age for about 14-36 months.

The best quality prosciutto is often considered the prosciutto de Parma, from the Parma region of Italy (home to the amazing Parmigiano Reggiano cheese)! 

This prosciutto must be produced using a specific brand of heritage pigs and only cured in the Parma region since the climate and temperature are thought to impart a unique flavor to the final product. 

Different regions in Italy will produce different colors and textures of prosciutto based on altitude, climate, dry curing time, type of pig used, and other unique factors.

I recommend trying as many varieties as you can to find your favorite. It’s a deliciously salty experience. 

Do You Have To Cook Prosciutto?

Since prosciutto goes through a dry-aging process that includes salting the meat to remove moisture and prevent the growth of bacteria, it is generally considered safe to consume raw. So, no, you don’t have to cook prosciutto. 

I have been eating and enjoying raw prosciutto for years with no issues and most food agencies do not require cooking prosciutto for safe consumption.

With that being said, cooking prosciutto can sometimes add a little extra something to the recipe. 

How To Enjoy Raw Prosciutto

There are countless ways to enjoy prosciutto that doesn’t require cooking. While my favorite way to eat it is just by the slice, straight from the package, there are tons of other delicious ways to use raw prosciutto in your kitchen:

• Combined with a sharp or funky cheese, high-quality mustard or mayo, and some pickled onions on a crusty baguette or focaccia to make a simple but delicious sandwich.
• A traditional way to enjoy prosciutto is wrapped around cantaloupe melon for a delicious salty-sweet antipasto. 
• You can add raw prosciutto to the top of your pizza after it’s been cooked for a soft, salty texture burst. 
• Add it to a charcuterie board with other cured meats, Brie, goat cheese, pickled onions, olives, walnuts, a selection of jams, high-quality crackers or bread, and dates for a tasty appetizer platter. 
• Try stuffing some dates with goat cheese and wrapping them in prosciutto. I prefer this raw, but you can also heat them in the oven for melty cheese and crispy prosciutto. 
• Pair it with some mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) for a simple but delicious snack that’s salty and creamy. 
• Pair it with a piece of crusty bread, olive oil, and balsamic. 

Who Should Cook Prosciutto?

While you don’t typically have to cook prosciutto (and really shouldn’t if you want to enjoy the amazing texture of this cured meat), there are a couple of demographics who need to cook it for safety purposes. 

Who should cook prosciutto? Pregnant people should avoid eating uncooked prosciutto since it is a type of raw meat.

There is a small chance of it being unsafe due to certain bacteria such as listeriosis or toxoplasmosis. Heating or cooking the prosciutto kills those bacteria, making it safe to eat.

Other folks who might want to cook their prosciutto before eating it are those with weakened immune systems or who are taking immunosuppressants.

They may not be able to fight off the potential bacteria found on uncooked meats. The risk is low but worth mentioning just to be safe. 

How To Enjoy Cooked Prosciutto

I am a firm believer that prosciutto is best enjoyed raw so that you can experience the unique texture and wonderful flavor of this simple cured meat.

With that being said, I have also been known to add it to some cooked dishes on occasion to salt things up. 

It is recommended that you use younger prosciutto that hasn’t been aged as long for cooked preparations since the flavor won’t be as complex.

The longer the dry age, the more complex the flavor, and the more I encourage you to enjoy it raw!

Here are some ways I enjoy it cooked:

• Prosciutto can be nice lightly warmed up with melted cheese in a sandwich. 
• You can wrap prosciutto around different vegetables, such as asparagus, and roast them for a crunchy, salty exterior. 
• I love adding raw prosciutto to my pizza after it’s cooked, but if you want a crunch alternative, you can sprinkle chopped-up prosciutto on top for the last few minutes of cooking time. 
• Try wrapping it around a chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and herbs and drizzled with maple syrup for a delicious twist on stuffed chicken breast.
• Crisp it in the oven or frying pan and use it in place of bacon in your recipes. 
• Add it to pasta sauces and pasta dishes. You can crisp it first for a crunchie texture or add it to the sauce as it cooks to impart some saltiness. 

Final Thoughts

Prosciutto is the king of salami thanks to its simplicity in production that imparts a complex and unique flavor profile.

Using simply salt, pork leg, air, and time, Italians have been making this cured meat for millennia and with practice comes perfect. It’s hard to find a cured meat that is better. 

Thanks to the use of salt in the dry-aging process, prosciutto can be eaten raw. The salt removes all blood and moisture from the meat and prevents bacteria from entering and growing inside the pork leg.

As such, it is very safe for most folks to enjoy raw so you can savor the flavor and soft texture.

With that being said, folks who are pregnant should not consume raw or cured meats due to the very small possibility of bacterial contamination.

If you’re pregnant, it is recommended that you cook your prosciutto to kill off any harmful bacteria such as listeriosis or toxoplasmosis.

There are many ways to enjoy raw prosciutto from sandwiches to charcuterie boards, to wrapped around melon or buffalo mozzarella.

Typically, the longer the cure, the more complex the flavor will be. These are the types of prosciutto that really shouldn’t be cooked since you lose a lot of that complexity and nuance in the cooking process. 

If you’re going to enjoy your prosciutto cooked, I recommend looking for a style that hasn’t been aged as long.

It will be more tender and the flavor will be a little milder. It will hold up well to use in pasta sauces, wrapped around vegetables or fruits and cooked, or crisped up like bacon.

No matter how you choose to eat your prosciutto, you are guaranteed to enjoy the saltiness and the amazing texture of this classic cured meat straight from Italy.

Do you have a favorite way to use prosciutto in your kitchen? Let us know in the comments.

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