Paul Bertolli is the founder and curemaster of Fra'Mani Handcrafted Salumi
in Berkeley, California. His artisan salumi (the Italian word for
salted, cured cuts of meat or sausages -- including salame and
prosciutto) focuses on the complex nature of cured pork; the balance of
fat, lean and salt, the coarseness of the grind, and how the variables
of natural fermentation give each salame its distinct flavor.
He
is known for his tenure as Chef of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley,
California and Chef of Oliveto Restaurant in Oakland, California.
For
the past 13 years Paul has been working to deepen his knowledge and
skill in the production of traditional Italian cured meats through
frequent sojourns to the production facilities of artisan producers in
the Parma and Modena area of Italy. He recently completed a series of
courses in Meat Science and relevant aspects of cured meat production
at Iowa State’s Meat Science Laboratory.