By Jessica (Buer) Luhning – Photos by Jim Klousia
When you think of all the amazing food destinations across the U.S., Milwaukee is most likely not at the top of the list. As a Wisconsin transplant, I admit to having a head full of preconceived notions about this pork-loving, beer-drinking city. I was never under the impression that Milwaukee had much to offer in the way of gourmet cuisine. Don’t get me wrong, a meal of bratwurst washed down with the city’s own “champagne of beer” is always tempting, but there had to be more in the way of artisan, handcrafted food in this city. I wanted the good stuff; I knew it existed, but I just had to find it.
Word got out that someone in Milwaukee was making and selling the state’s first certified prosciutto. Even more interestingly, we shared the same last name. Could it be? A man from my own German lineage making Wisconsin meat history? My family’s love for all things cured rivals our devotion to all things fermented and roasted. Our previous west coast home awarded us with tasty cured pork treats from the Seattle-based Armandino Batali and his renowned Salumi Cured Meats, and Berkeley’s Fra’Mani Handcrafted Salumi founded by Chef Paul Bertolli. Upon moving to Wisconsin, we were surprised and disheartened to find that our new home, in the nation’s pork belt, was void of this type of authentic handcrafted food—until now.
Continue reading Charcuterie Reborn in Milwaukee in Edible Madison.
