Il Porcellino Salumi Now Has Prosciutto

Good things take time. In the case of Il Porcellino Salumi’s first leg of prosciutto, we’re talking 15 months of dry-curing. What makes this aged Italian-style ham so special? Not only is it the first pro prosciutto made in the Mile High City, but Il Porcellino’s owner, Bill Miner, used a heritage-breed Berkshire pig from Torpedo Farms near Pueblo to make it. The result is “buttery, creamy, and velvety in texture,” Miner says, and the flavor is “incredible. When you start eating it, it tastes earthy, then there are nutty acorn notes, then it finishes with a more tannic, red wine flavor.” Stop by the Berkeley market and deli to get some sliced paper-thin, or settle in and enjoy the prosciutto platter special ($20), in which you can taste the delicacy with house-made crackers and seasonal fruit. But don’t dawdle: Although Il Porcellino has recently more than quadrupled its charcuterie-producing capacity with a new Basalt facility, its next few legs won’t finish curing until early next year.