Bresaola is a traditional Italian air-dried, salted beef that has been aged until it becomes firm and develops a deep red color with concentrated flavor. It originates from Valtellina, a high alpine valley in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, and its history is deeply tied to the geography, climate, and cultural preferences of the area.
Unlike much of Southern Italy, which developed a culinary culture centered around pork, Northern Italy — especially the Alpine regions like Lombardy, Piedmont, and Trentino-Alto Adige — had more access to cattle due to its cooler climate, lush pastureland, and traditions of dairy and beef production.
In contrast to the Southern Italian diet, where animals like pigs were easier to raise in hot climates and where preservation methods like salting and smoking produced iconic pork-based products (such as prosciutto, soppressata, and guanciale), Northern Italy leaned more toward beef and veal.
This regional difference laid the foundation for foods like bresaola, as well as dishes like bollito misto (boiled meats) and osso buco, which are rooted in the cattle-rich north.
Origins and Preservation
The practice of curing beef in the Alps likely began in the 14th or 15th century, as a way to preserve meat for long, cold winters. Salt-curing and air-drying were practical and effective, especially in the dry, cold mountain air of the Valtellina valley.
The word “bresaola” may come from the local dialect word brasa (“embers”), referencing the charcoal braziers once used in curing rooms to regulate humidity.
Made from lean cuts like the eye of round, bresaola is dry-cured with salt, black pepper, garlic, and herbs, then air-dried for 2–3 months.
Bresaola
- 2 ounces/60 grams sea salt (salt-box method, see pages 79–80, or 3% of the weight of the meat)
- 2 teaspoons/7 grams freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons/6 grams fresh thyme leaves
- 10 juniper berries, crushed
- 1 teaspoon/1 gram finely ground dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon/1 gram ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon/1 gram ground cloves
- ½ cup/125 milliliters dry white wine
- One 4-pound/2000-gram eye of the round roast
1. Combine all the cure ingredients and add to a 2.5-gallon/9-liter zip-top plastic bag. Add the beef and rub it all over with the salt and seasonings. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 7 to 9 days, flipping it and rubbing it again every other day to make sure the cure is evenly distributed.
2. Remove the beef from the bag, rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove any remaining spices, and pat dry with paper towels. Set it on a rack on a baking sheet and let air-dry, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Weigh the beef and record the result.
3. With butcher’s string, tie the beef to make a compact roast (see pages 122–25). Hang it in the drying chamber for about 3 weeks or until it’s lost 30 percent of its weight.
It’s typically served thinly sliced, often paired with arugula, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil, and lemon.
Source: Ruhlman, Michael; Polcyn, Brian. Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing (p. 181). W. W. Norton & Company.
