Renieri cured meats ‘crafted with art’: our choice for authentic quality

When we say our cured meats are “crafted with art” (fatti ad arte), for us at the Renieri family, it’s not just a nice way to describe them. It’s a true declaration of intent, a promise we make to you and to ourselves, and one that guides our work every single day. You see, nowadays, those who produce food products often find themselves at a crossroads: on one side, there’s the path of fast, standardized production, where everything is optimized for large volumes; on the other, there’s the path of craftsmanship, made of slower times, a lot of manual work, and an almost obsessive attention to every detail.

Guess which path we at Renieri have chosen? Exactly, the artisan one. We’ve decided never to settle for a product that’s “just good,” but always to aim for something “absolutely special.” For us, this means putting the product first, always. But what does that mean, concretely, in everyday practice? It means making precise choices, sometimes a bit counter-current compared to how the world goes, choices that we believe deeply distinguish our cured meats from many others you can find around. And today, we want to tell you with our usual sincerity what “crafted with art” means to us.

Being artisans, for our family, first and foremost means proudly carrying on the “artisan mastery” that has been passed down to us. It’s that “know-how” learned over the years, literally getting your hands dirty, with an almost affectionate care for every single detail, from the moment we select the meats to the final stage of aging. It’s the expert eye of the salumiere (cured meat maker), that sensitive hand that “feels” the mixture, that checks the consistency, that guides every step. These are things that no machine, however sophisticated, can ever fully replicate.

And this skill, this love for a job well done, is inextricably linked to our “family heritage.” The techniques we use, the small secrets of the trade, that almost stubborn attention to quality… we didn’t learn them from school books. We saw them being done, day after day, by our fathers and our grandfathers. It’s a precious knowledge that runs in our veins, a passion that guides us and makes us immensely proud of our work and the cured meats that bear the Renieri name.

But beyond the beautiful words, which for us are important because they express our values, what truly changes for you when you choose a Renieri cured meat? What are the differences you can feel with your hands (and taste with your palate!) compared to those who, perhaps, follow other production logics, focusing more on speed or immediate savings?

• The choice of ingredients: the starting point of everything
  For us, quality begins here, without ifs, ands, or buts. It means choosing the best raw material our territory offers, like the exceptional meat of our Cinta Senese DOP, sourced from our controlled supply chain, from animals raised with respect. It means categorically refusing the use of frozen meat, because we believe that the freshness and naturalness of the raw material are essential. It means using only natural spices, real, fragrant ones that taste good, without shortcuts like artificial flavors.
  Take garlic, a simple but fundamental ingredient in many of our recipes: we at Renieri use only fresh Italian garlic, which we grind ourselves, batch by batch, to capture all its intense aroma and true flavor, the kind that gives character. We don’t use garlic powder, the standardized kind that always tastes the same and adds no personality. It’s these small, but for us enormous, attentions, this continuous search for the best even in apparently simple things, that make the difference in the final taste and give a soul to our products. Those who choose other paths, perhaps to optimize costs or time, might use lower quality meats, from less transparent origins, or ingredients that do not respect the genuineness that for us is a value we would never give up.

• The human touch: the irreplaceable value of “handmade”
  In our daily work, there are gestures that are sacred to us, irreplaceable. Being artisans means, for example, being willing to spend those extra, precious minutes to tie a salami by hand, with the right string, applying the perfect tension, as we were taught. It means, for our soprassata, still “beating” the meats with a knife, as was done in the past, even though we know very well that there are machines that could do it in an instant.
  Why do we care so much about these gestures? Because we firmly believe that this manual care influences the final consistency of the cured meat, the way flavors bind and harmonize. And then, let’s face it, it’s a sign of deep respect for tradition and for the product itself. It’s our way of putting a bit of ourselves into every piece that leaves our salumificio.

• Time: our most precious ingredient (no rush, no shortcuts!)
  Here’s another great secret, which isn’t so secret, but which is often forgotten: time. To make truly high-quality artisan cured meats takes patience, a lot, a lot of patience. Our aging is natural, it happens slowly, without forcing, in our cellars, where the air circulates through windows, following the rhythm of the seasons. Our Cinta Senese DOP Prosciuttos, for example, age for a minimum of 24 months, and for our MAESTA‘, our most special and cherished selection, we go well beyond 36 months.
  We know that in today’s world, there’s often a tendency to speed up processes to increase production. But we are convinced, and our cured meats are the proof, that only time, real, slow, and patient time, allows flavors to fully develop, the meat to mature properly, and the product to reach that excellence, that complexity of aromas, and that tenderness we seek. It’s an investment in Renieri artisan quality, and on this, we are not willing to take shortcuts.
• Total care, homemade, with our own hands:
  Being artisans for us also means having control and responsibility over the entire process. That’s why we at Renieri personally oversee the entire production cycle of ALL our artisan Tuscan cured meats, here, within our company. From the careful selection of the meats, to the preparation of the mixtures, to the long aging and final packaging, nothing is left to chance or outsourced. This direct control, this constant presence, allows us to guarantee quality at every single stage and to be absolutely sure of the product that proudly bears our name.
• Small batches, great attention, great flavor:
  Working in this way, with so much manual skill and respect for natural times, often means producing smaller quantities compared to those who follow different logics. But for us, this is a virtue. It allows us to dedicate to every single piece – be it a whole prosciutto, a salami, or a finocchiona – all the attention and care it deserves. Our absolute priority, always, is excellent quality, authentic and recognizable flavor, not large volumes.

Friends, as you will have understood, making cured meats in an artisan way is a choice that requires commitment. It demands more time, more effort, more attention to detail. But we at Renieri continue to follow this path with pride and with a conviction that renews itself every day.

We do it for the infinite passion we have for this craft, an ancient, noble craft that tastes good. We do it for the deep respect we have for our tradition and for our Tuscan roots, a heritage of flavors and knowledge that we want to preserve and pass down. And we do it above all for you, our customers, for the sincere desire to offer you an authentic flavor, a genuine, recognizable product, a quality without compromise. This is our promise of authenticity and transparency. We want every one of our cured meats to be not “just good,” but “absolutely special.”

It’s a precious combination of ancient knowledge, manual care in every gesture, absolute respect for nature’s slow times, exceptional ingredients (down to the single spice, like our fresh garlic!), and a direct and passionate control over the entire process, done here, in the heart of Tuscany.

The next time you find yourself choosing a cured meat, we invite you to think about these differences. Don’t just stop at the price or the label. Try to understand how that product was made, with what philosophy, with how much care.

Choosing an artisan cured meat like ours means supporting a way of working done with love, respect, and dedication. And we are convinced that you will find all this value, this passion, slice after slice.

Thank you for dedicating your time to us and for listening to our story. We at Renieri will continue to put all our passion into bringing you the best of our land, made properly, crafted with art.