Not Ham, Not Bacon — Make Grilled Cheese Fancier (And Heartier) With This Italian Deli Meat

There are, pretty famously, many ways to grill a cheese. There are abundant tips for creating the crispiest grilled cheese, dairy studies aim to optimize the main ingredient, and, of course, the metaphorical crusts overflow with all manner of extra filling suggestions. Pork products, such as bacon and ham, are popular savory grilled cheese upgrades, but another dry-cured slice of swine belongs with the best of 'em: prosciutto.

Prosciutto is Italian ham sourced from the pig's leg. You sometimes see a whole one suspended in a stand in a specialty store, or at a particularly well appointed grocery store or supermarket. The meat is copiously salted and dry-aged before it's carved into the thin slices destined to adorn your charcuterie boards, encircle your asparagus, and, now, join your grilled cheese. It's the logical extension of the grilled cheese meats you might already love. A few extra considerations make it even tastier in this particular presentation.

The prosciutto you elegantly shave from that pork leg, or simply buy in a package, is technically raw. The salting and curing that help make it so delicious also draw out moisture to keep bacteria away and make it safe for your plate. It requires no cooking, but you can crisp it in a pan for a few minutes should you want a little extra texture. In either case, arranging the prosciutto between your cheese helps adhere everything together. A few slices of prosciutto doubled up to create a thin layer should be plenty to assert the pork's presence while still letting it all warm through.

Prosciutto's chief characteristic is its salinity. It also has some sweetness and a wonderfully silken texture, but most folks sooner clock its mineral punch upon first taste. That quality can be a little overwhelming when joined by other salty foods, including the American cheese that otherwise grills so well.  As such, skip the traditional yellow squares when pairing prosciutto, and consider a milder, somewhat nutty provolone, which also melts nicely while tasting less salty. Gruyère is similarly situated. Also, reach for unsalted butter lest a careless swipe ruin your otherwise ideally calibrated ingredients. Lastly, keep the bread neutral. Frame the prosciutto with a basic white sandwich loaf to provide the best stage for the refined swine to shine.