I have to say that this has to be one of my #1 favorite discoveries of 2014 – and I use this stuff for everything from rimming cocktails to seasoning my eggs!

Several months ago I had the opportunity to work with a large tequila brand to create a cocktail featuring their new product line. I made the cocktail itself with melon, but felt it just needed that little “something extra.” Then it dawned on me – one of my favorite appetizers is prosciutto-wrapped melon. This cocktail needed meat!

Previously we’ve tried fat washing to make bacon or prosciutto infused salt, but the results weren’t quite what I was looking for today. This time I decided to take “meat salt” to a whole new level.

From Sandwiches to Cocktails:

Inspired? Here’s how to do it!

1. Sautee

Let the meat sautee with a little bit of olive oil for about 5-10 minutes to try to get as much water and moisture out of the meat. You’re looking for it to become denser and crunchy, but not necessarily “browned”

2. Extract Oil

Set the crunchy prosciutto on paper towels and (when cool enough) pat with extra towels as well. The goal here is to extract as much oil as possible.

3. Roast

We’re not done yet! To make sure the prosciutto is extra crunchy, roast it in the oven around 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Now THAT is some crunchy prosciutto!

4. Cool

Allow the prosciutto to cool completely. No burning fingers, please!

5. Grind it up

Break the prosciutto into small enough pieces so it’ll fit into your spice grinder or food processor. (Disclosure: My “spice grinder” is just a coffee grinder that I’ve set aside for spices.) Grind it up in batches until the prosciutto resembles a fine powder.

Mix the prosciutto powder with salt. You’re welcome to use whatever proportion suits your taste, but I used about a 20-1 ratio of salt to prosciutto. (Yes, that’s a lot of salt for the amount of Prosciutto you’re using, but the flavor is strong!) You will want to stir thoroughly, as I’ve found the prosciutto can “clump” a bit, (almost like brown sugar).