A natural preparation that is slow and thorough precedes the moment of consumption, a procedure that can be summarised as follows: take the culatello, take off the strings around it, place it under running water and brush it carefully. Then immerse it in a container of dry white or red wine. It should stay here several days according to the ageing, although the average immersion time is usually 2 or 3 days. When it is taken out of the wine, the culatello is skinned, the outer fat perfectly trimmed off, and it is then cut into thin slices and, if it is a little dry, accompanied by curls of fresh butter. Once it is cut it is advisable to consume it in a short time. To conserve the culatello, spread butter over the part that is cut and wrap the culatello in a linen cloth soaked in white wine, taking care to keep it in a cool place, but not in the fridge. Culatello di Zibello has been granted the mark of Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) of the European Community.