Njeguški pršut

Његушки пршут · Njeguški pršut

Ingredients5

• bone-in pork hind leg with skin8 kg
• coarse sea salt800 g
• black peppercorns15 g
• dried bay leaves4
• garlic4 cloves

Method

1. Trim the pork leg neatly, leaving the skin and a thin layer of fat, and pat it completely dry.
2. Rub the leg all over with crushed garlic, cracked pepper, and crumbled bay, then pack it thickly in coarse sea salt, working salt into every crevice.
3. Place the salted leg in a clean, cool vessel, skin side down, and leave it in a cold room for about 3 weeks, turning it every few days and draining any liquid.
4. Rinse off the excess salt, pat the leg dry, and hang it in a cold, airy place protected from insects.
5. Let it air-dry and age for many months until the meat is firm, dark, and deeply aromatic, traditionally in the dry mountain wind.
6. Slice it paper-thin only when fully cured, and serve at room temperature.