Hunter Fike of Di Bruno Bros. waited years to taste an authentic slice of imported culatello, regarded by some as the most prestigious salami in Italy.
Made with the muscle from the back of a pig’s hind leg and aged inside its bladder, culatello has been called the king of cured meats for its supple texture and rich, funky flavor that evokes a rind of cheese. Until recently, it was one of several Italian meats prohibited by the U.S.D.A. due to an outbreak of swine disease dating to the 1970s. It finally arrived at Di Bruno’s last summer, five years after the ban was lifted.
Fike, the cheese and charcuterie manager for Di Bruno’s, was dismayed to find the meat underwhelming after so much buildup, like an imitation of prosciutto. In fact, he said it wasn’t as good as culatello made closer to home — such as that from Tempesta’s Heritage Meats in Chicago, which is available at Di Bruno’s.
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