Prosciutto refers to an air-cured ham that is generally lightly flavored with seasonings during the curing process. You may use sliced prosciutto in a wide variety of ways. Wrap it around grilled asparagus or chunks of cantaloupe, for example, or place slices of it on a pizza for extra flavor. Prosciutto slices should be very thin, to the point of being almost translucent.
Place your piece of prosciutto in your prosciutto holder or ham clamp, if you have one. If not, put the prosciutto on a cutting board and hold it firmly in place with your non-dominant hand. Align the prosciutto so you will be able to cut across, rather than along, the grain of the meat. This will result in slices that are less stringy but more fragile. If you prefer stronger slices and don’t mind extra chewiness and stringiness, align the prosciutto so you will be able to cut along the grain of the meat.
Lay your knife along the top of the piece of prosciutto. The knife should be as close as possible to the edge of the meat to ensure the thinnest slice possible.
Slice down through the prosciutto, pulling the knife toward you as you go. Ideally you should cut through the meat in a single slice rather than sawing back and forth. Sawing motions will rip and tear this delicate meat while a confident single slice will result in a perfect piece of prosciutto.
Pick up your slice of prosciutto as soon as you have cut it free of the block of meat. Lay it flat on a piece of parchment paper to save it for later.
Repeat this process until you have as many prosciutto slices as you want. Lay each slice flat on a piece of parchment paper before cutting the next one to avoid having your slices get tangled or torn.