Many of you have eaten Allen Benton’s bacon at restaurants around town, but it’s not available for retail purchase here–yet. I called Benton’s after a reader called me about getting the bacon, and they tell me that they’re expanding their operation and all we have to do to get the products in Memphis this fall is to find a retailer that wants it. I’m certain we won’t have a problem with that. Meanwhile, I ordered a package of Benton’s prosciutto and Oh. My. God. Just look at it!

I compared it to an imported prosciutto I had in the fridge and it simple wasn’t fair. This is THE most supple and luxurious prosciutto I’ve ever tasted. My daughter found it a tad too salty, but I thought it was perfectly balanced, and I just ordered more. I met Allen Benton briefly at the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium last fall, when he won the Lifetime Achievement Award. He just told me on the phone that it might be a pitiful way to spend your life, in the pursuit of creating perfect bacon and ham. I told him that instead it is honorable, and that we all appreciate it!

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So last night I fried up the imported prosciutto with a little onion and garlic in olive oil, tossed in pasta, topped it with tomatoes from the farmers market, a little blue cheese, pepper and then tore in pieces of that great Benton’s prosciutto. It was heavenly and took about 10 minutes of work, even though I burned the garlic the first time and had to start over.

Go to bentonshams.com to see what else he’s got.