Bresaola in Five Questions

What is bresaola?

The word either comes from the Italian word for ‘braise’, perhaps because bresaola tends to be made from braising cuts. Or the Italian word for salt, because it’s cured in salt. I’m tempted by the salt explanation, but what do I know?

Bresaola is a cured meat, a piece of charcuterie, or as the Italians would say ‘a salume’. It’s whole muscle charcuterie, that is, it’s cured as a whole joint, rather than from trim like a salami.

Bresaola tends to be made from the hindquarters of beef, but as we’ll see, other types are made too. Therefore, it’s relatively lean, relatively dense and relatively tender. It tends to have a clean, straightforward texture and depending on the meat, will be pink to purple in colour.

It’s usually cured simply in salt, with a little red wine added for good measure. Once cured for a week or two, it’s hung to dry slowly for a few weeks.

Where does it come from?

Bresaola is from Italy, but they don’t have a monopoly on the concept. Versions of bresaola are produced across the Alps, into Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Basturma, for example, is similar.

It’s not the easiest one to pronounce, but we’d go for ‘bres-ow-la’, rather than ‘bres-aye-oh-la’ or ‘bres-oh-la’.

Obviously, with fantastic beef in Britain, British bresaola is particularly good.

What meat is it?

Most often bresaola is made from beef, particularly topside or silverside. However, any lean cuts work well for bresaola, and so in Italy you might even see horse or donkey bresaola. On these shores, that won’t be happening, but we do produce some lovely venison and sheep bresaolas, which share the lean and delicate qualities of the beef classic.

Why do people like it?

Bresaola is very lean, high protein, low fat charcuterie. It also benefits from a mild, meaty flavour which is really approachable. With our love of roast meats in Britain, how much bresaola looks like rare roast beef, lamb or venison doesn’t hurt either.

It’s also versatile from a gastronomic point of view, so there are plenty of chances to use it.

How do you use it?

As a cooking ingredient, go for creamy pastas. It’ll get a bit overwhelmed by tomato sauces, and being lean, doesn’t love a pizza, as it dries out too much.

On a grazing board, the big slices wrap rollitos nicely. They can also be snipped up to make excellent canape toppers with cream cheese or horseradish. Their deep red colour makes bresaola slices an attractive addition to a board too.

Bresaola also makes a good alternative for carpaccio, which is more typically made with raw sliced beef fillet. Using the cured bresaola takes some of the risk out of preparing and serving raw beef, and while the result is different, it’s equally good, while the presentation is similar. Just dress a few slices with shavings of parmesan, some rocket and olive oil. Or go full British, swap the parmesan for a lusty cheddar and dress with extra-virgin rapeseed oil.

If all that is too much hassle, pair it with a good cheese and a light red, or if you’re feeling delightfully different, an oaked chardonnay.