What to use instead of prosciutto
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Salty cured slice eaten raw
Eighteen months of dry curing pulls the water out and breaks the proteins down, so the meat is soft, sweet and savoury with no cooking at all.
SpeckRan out
1:1 by weight
Lightly smoked and boned, so it is firmer and the smoke sits over the sweetness. Slices hold their shape better on a board.
Jamon serranoRan out
1:1 by weight
Drier, chewier and more mineral. Less of the soft fat that makes prosciutto dissolve on the tongue.
CoppaRan out
1:1 by weight
Fat marbled through the muscle rather than around the edge, and seasoned with pepper or fennel, so it eats spicier.
BresaolaRan out
1:1 by weight
Beef and almost fat-free, so it reads lean and tastes mostly of the cure. It dries out on the plate within ten minutes.
What doesn't work: Deli boiled ham. It is brined and cooked, so it holds water and has no cured depth, and against melon it goes rubbery rather than melting.
Wrapping layer that bastes and crisps
The fat renders into whatever it is wrapped around while the lean sets into a salty crust, which is the whole point of saltimbocca and of the inner layer of a wellington.
Thin-sliced pancettaRan out
1:1 by weight
More fat, so it bastes harder and crisps later. Take a pinch of salt off the dish since it runs saltier per slice.
Streaky baconRan out
1:1 by weight
Renders the most fat and crisps hardest. Smoke goes through the whole dish and the cure sugar can scorch before the meat is done.
Thin-sliced country hamRan out
1:1 by weight
Very salty and lean. Crisps into a shattering layer with almost nothing to baste with, so add butter to the pan.
Blanched cabbage or chard leavesPlant-based
2 large leaves per 4 slices, blanched 30 seconds
Holds the parcel shut and keeps it moist. It gives up no fat and no salt, so season the filling harder than the recipe says.
What doesn't work: Wrapping in cheese slices to get the same seal. Cheese flows at the temperature the meat needs, so the parcel opens in the pan and the filling dries out in the puddle.
For saltimbocca ask for it sliced a shade thicker than paper. The thinnest slices tear when you press the sage into them.