Speck

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Speck is a pork product that is used in Austrian, Czech, Dutch, German, Italian and Slovak cooking. Speck is made from the hind leg of a pig (the ham) and is similar to prosciutto but is heavily smoked and is usually seasoned and cured for about one month before being eaten. Italian speck is generally served sliced fairly thin and is often used as a replacement for bacon or pancetta.

Speck is commonly found in Italian risotto and carries an extremely strong flavour that is usually combatted with light flavours such as parsley, lemon, mint, etc. The differences between speck and bacon include different time lengths of smoking, the technique of curing it, and the fact that speck cures for a longer period of time than bacon does.