Speck
Speck is a typical product from the northeast of Italy obtained by the raw thigh of the hog, smoked and seasoned. The Speck of Alto Adige has received the European PGI mark recognition.
Speck is a typical product from the northeast of Italy obtained by the raw thigh of the hog, smoked and seasoned. The Speck of Alto Adige has received the European PGI mark recognition.
Speck is a typical product from the northeast of Italy obtained by the raw thigh of the hog, smoked and seasoned. The Speck of Alto Adige has received the European PGI mark recognition. One of the secrets of a good speck lies in its smoking, an operation lasting about ten days and involving the use of non-resinous wood (beech, juniper or ash). The speck shape is flattened and stretched, while inside it has a pinkish colour tending to red, with well-finished fat parts. Speck has a very distinctive, spicy and smoky flavour. From the gastronomic point of view it is extremely versatile.
The first step in the speck production is the preparation of the so-called “baffe”: the hog thighs are boned and divided into pieces, with the elimination of excess fat and rind. The pieces obtained (which must have a balanced distribution of lean and fat parts) are then salted and flavoured with garlic, bay leaves, pepper, juniper berries, nutmeg and other spices and left to rest for about thirty days. At this point there is the smoking, which takes place on iron frames inside large fireplaces fed by maple and beech shavings; this is a process lasting for about ten days, with temperatures no higher than 20 degrees Celsius. This is followed by the maturing phase, which lasts for at least five months.
