Covetable Charcuterie

Wisconsin has long been known for its bustling jerky and brat trade. Now high-end charcuterie has entered the mix, thanks to Bolzano Artisan Meats.

And because of state licensing laws, no Chicago restaurants or stores can get their hands on the stuff--only home gourmands.

From his humble Milwaukee headquarters, Bolzano mastermind Scott Buer takes Europe's greatest cured pork styles and applies them to local pigs. But not just any pigs: Buer uses richly flavored Hereford hogs--an heirloom breed that he hopes to help popularize--from a nearby Lake Geneva farmer.

Bolzano's small-batch salting technique produces ruddy slabs of silky pancetta and guanciale (cured pork jowl), punctuated with snowy swirls of fat.

His newest addition--Paletilla Húngara, a Spanish-style cured ham flavored with smoked paprika--debuts this week. His Northern Italian-style speck prosciutto (cured Italian-style, but bone-in, like prosciutto) takes 10 months to cure; preorder now for delivery early next year.

Buer's blog is a Bolzano cookbook in the making, with recipes using each of his meats: pasta carbonara with guanciale, speck prosciutto risotto, pancetta-wrapped chestnuts and more.

Eat it and weep, chefs.