Being of Italian heritage, I grew up a big fan of cured meats. One of my favorites of the dry cured variety was the prosciutto (pro-SHU-toh). Made for centuries by master meat craftsmen in the Parma region of Italy, the prosciutto was made simply by salting a fresh pork leg and then slow drying until it reached the perfect balance of taste, color and firmness. Etymologically, the term prosciutto comes from the Italian prosciugare (PRO-SHU-ga-ray) meaning “to dry thoroughly.” I’ve made a few traditional-style prosciutto hams during my adventures as a meat scientist and have had relatively good success; however, my day job requires a focus entirely on beef that led to discovering a lesser-known, but just as delicious, dry-cured whole-muscle cut made from beef that rivals my beloved prosciutto: bresaola (breh-ZO-la).
It is said that bresaola originated in the Valtellina, a long narrow valley in the Lombardo region of northern Italy, where it was made from lean beef likely cut from the round. I’ve found the eye of round to be an excellent candidate for making bresaola because of its shape, inherently lean nature, availability and affordability. The cut takes on a really great flavor when combined with the minimal ingredients used to make the bresaola.