Trentino-Alto Adige
The definitive preparation for serving Speck Alto Adige IGP — thinly hand-sliced against the grain, laid on a wooden board with freshly grated horseradish (kren), thin slices of rye sourdough bread and perhaps aged Graukäse. The speck must be sliced to translucency: thick enough to taste the fat but thin enough to melt on the tongue. The ritual of slicing and serving speck is treated with the same seriousness as prosciutto di Parma in Emilia.
Smoky, sweet-cured and slightly herbal from the mountain-air drying; the fat is the prize — it melts on the tongue releasing juniper and pepper; kren's horseradish heat cuts through
{"Bring speck to room temperature 30 minutes before slicing — cold fat is hard and the meat tears rather than slices","Slice against the grain at a very slight diagonal — this shortens the muscle fibres and improves tenderness","Target 1.5–2mm thickness: thin enough to be almost translucent but thick enough to have substance","Use a very sharp, long knife with a single-direction stroke — back-and-forth sawing shreds the delicate fat","Serve within 20 minutes of slicing — the fat oxidises quickly at room temperature"}
{"Grate kren (horseradish) fresh immediately before serving — jarred horseradish lacks the volatile compound freshness","A few drops of aged apple vinegar drizzled over the sliced speck brightens the smoke and fat","Pair with Lagrein or Vernatsch — both South Tyrolean reds that have the fruit weight to complement the smoke"}
{"Slicing too thick — the fat becomes waxy and the texture rubbery rather than melting","Slicing with the grain — the meat is tough and stringy rather than tender","Refrigerating sliced speck uncovered, which dries and hardens the fat within an hour"}
Speck Alto Adige IGP — Manuale di Produzione e Servizio