Prosciutto, Lardo, Guanciale, and Pancetta

This quartet of cured meats represents some of the most prized products of the beloved pig. Simply put, Italians cooks would be bereft without them. The most famous of the four is prosciutto, with the most renowned example prosciutto di Parma. Made from the hind thigh of the pig, prosciutto is a salt-cured, air-dried ham, and a government stamp on its rounded side attests to its being produced according to strict government regulations. Other stellar examples that are exported include the darker and sweeter prosciutto di San Daniele from Friuli, and prosciutto di Carpegna from a town on the border of Tuscany and the Marches.