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What is Speck?

Definition: Speck

An Italian cured, smoked meat native to the Alto Adige, a region that straddles Northern Italy and Southern Austria. To make speck, a boned pork leg is cured in salt, and spices like laurel and juniper, then intermittently slow-smoked, using pine or juniper wood for several months.

Deep red in color with heavily marbled traces of fat, speck is served thinly sliced as an appetizer, or is used to flavor cooked dishes. For a less traditional application, try it in a salad with apples and arugula.

Note that speck from Alto Adige or Tyrol, which enjoys a protected designation of origin, should not be confused with the German usage of the word, which refers to lard.

Source: Flickr User dags1974

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