House Smoked Bacon Center Cut

South Tyrolean Speck (center cut), aged in beechwood smoke

The "Haus Speck" center cut from the Steiner butcher shop is a South Tyrolean Speck made from the best part of the pork leg, smoked for weeks in cool beechwood smoke and aged for four to six months in mountain air. A farm-style bacon made according to a secret family recipe, mild in salt, rich in aroma.

The "Haus Speck" center cut is the classic South Tyrolean Speck from the Steiner butcher shop in Rasen-Antholz, cut from the lean center of the pork leg. What the family uses to season their Speck is a strictly guarded secret, passed down for three generations. The Speck is gluten-free and lactose-free; each piece is a natural product with its own shape and weight.

Mildly salted, rich in aroma

When sliced, the Speck reveals its deep red color with a fine white edge of fat; the scent is smoky and spicy, with clear notes of quality pork and a hint of beech.

Sliced paper-thin, the South Tyrolean Speck is pleasantly mild in salt, yet spicy and profound, with a fine smokiness from the beechwood. It melts delicately at the fat edge while remaining firm and aromatic in the lean part. Spicy, smoky, and bold—that is the taste of Speck that has been given time to mature.

Because it is only mildly salted, you can taste the meat and the smoke, not the salt, and that is exactly what distinguishes a good farm-style Speck from any random one off the shelf. Good Speck doesn't need loud seasoning, just good meat, clean smoke, and plenty of time.

Paper-thin for the board, perfect for a traditional snack

South Tyrolean Speck belongs sliced paper-thin on a board, served as part of a traditional "Marende" snack with farmhouse bread, spicy mountain cheese, and a glass of red wine.

Fine slices cut across the grain with a sharp knife allow the fat edge to melt on your tongue. Paired with a Kaminwurze sausage and a spoonful of South Tyrolean sauerkraut, it becomes an authentic South Tyrolean meal. A first slice tasted plain, before the Speck is used for cooking, reveals its seasoning in its purest form.

Cut into cubes, the Speck adds depth to dumplings, soups, and pan-fried dishes; a small cube seasons an entire pot. It comes to you in three weights of approximately 420, 440, and 480 grams, as every piece is naturally different—sometimes a little leaner, sometimes a little fattier.

Beechwood smoke and four months of mountain air

The "Haus Speck" ages at the Steiner butcher shop in Rasen-Antholz, now run by Florian Steiner, in the heart of South Tyrol's Puster Valley.

First, the center cut is carefully cured with the secret spice blend, then smoked for several weeks in the cool, cold smoke of beechwood. The slower and cooler the smoke, the finer the aroma. Afterward, the Speck matures for 4 to 6 months in the clear mountain air until it reaches its full flavor. It becomes bold, spicy, and aromatic all on its own.

The house has received multiple awards for its Speck specialties; in 2016, it won five gold medals at the international IFFA competition in Frankfurt. Impressive indeed. You can find more South Tyrolean specialties from the Steiner butcher shop in our store, ranging from sausages to sauerkraut.

The "Haus Speck" is a natural product and arrives vacuum-sealed. If there is air in the packaging upon unpacking, this is not a defect; simply wrap the Speck in a linen or cotton cloth and store it in a cool place. If fine salt crystals form over time, just brush them off with a dry brush.