Celebrity Chef Johann Lafer Visits Vulcano, Lufthansa’s Artisanal Ham Supplier

The fire in the volcanoes of southeast Styria died out many millions of years ago. What they left behind was a rolling landscape that local people gradually transformed into a rich cultural region – a patchwork of orchards and small forests, vineyards, and fertile fields where pumpkins, runner beans, and various grains thrive.

Many of the people living in Styrian Vulkanland (Volcanic Land) make their living from farming, tourism, and hospitality – and they are deeply passionate about good flavor and the quality of their products. Franz and Laura Habel are no exception. The father and daughter team runs the Vulcano artisanal production facility together. Visitors arriving at the company’s site in the quiet village of Auersbach near Feldbach are greeted at the entrance by a giant wooden leg of pork. The sculpture leaves little doubt as to what this place is all about: ham. More precisely, air-dried prosciutto – but also other pork delicacies such as lightly smoked pork neck, finely marbled collar, hearty bacon, and salamis flavored with either truffle or pumpkin seeds.

On this day in early December, the Habels are expecting important guests: celebrity chef Johann Lafer and Christoph Brandstätter, executive chef at Lufthansa caterer Gate Gourmet. The two chefs selected Vulcano as a supplier for ​Lufthansa Business Class and now want to take a closer look at the production process. The welcome at the courtyard restaurant, where visitors can sample Vulcano products, is warm. For Lafer, who was born in Styria, the visit is something of a home game. Brandstätter, too, is originally from Austria.

“We are constantly scouting for new products,” says Brandstätter. “We want ​to keep evolving Lufthansa’s culinary offering. And Johann is a great partner in that process. He knows people and we know people.” Even so, the search is a real challenge, as Lafer adds: “Our goal is to find producers who can meet the volumes Lufthansa needs while still having a real person and a real soul behind what they do.”

That is unquestionably the case at Vulcano. Franz Habel says he has already fed 200 pigs today. In fact, he is in the barn every single day for his inspection rounds, and vacations are rare. Franz and Laura Habel drive their guests personally to the production facility a few miles away, where pork is turned into delicious specialties. Once everyone has put on hairnets and sterile shoe covers, the tour begins – and it quickly becomes clear that everything here is still done by hand.

In an enormous tub, two employees are salting 600 kilograms (1,323 lb) of pork neck, which will later be served on plates in Lufthansa Business Class. “For every batch, we can still tell you whether it was salted by Jakob or by Sepp,” says Franz Habel. Along with sea salt, they use herbs and spices such as coriander, pepper, and juniper. The exact recipe, of course, remains a secret. It takes around four and a half months for the pork neck to be finished – from salting and curing to gentle smoking over beechwood.

“You’ve got to be in pretty good shape for that,” Lafer jokes to three women in a small room who are rubbing heavy hams with a paste made of fat, salt, and pepper in the areas not protected by the rind. Overall, the man who once earned two Michelin stars comes across just as cheerful and enthusiastic as audiences know him from television. “Incredible – I could stay here all day,” Lafer calls out to his colleague Brandstätter at one point. And “Mega!” escapes his lips several times as Franz and Laura Habel open one heavy metal door after another, revealing hams, slabs of bacon, and sausages hanging in seemingly endless rows on metal racks.

What makes Vulcano’s products so special comes down to one thing above all: time. “Look at the fine marbling in this meat,” Lafer says as he examines a ham. “You only get that when the pig has been allowed to grow slowly.” That, he says, is why Vulcano ham is so tender and juicy. Time also plays a key role in the curing process – as does temperature. “The hams here are hung at below 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit),” Lafer explains. “And the longer a ham matures at a cool temperature, the more intense the flavor becomes.” The goal, Laura Habel says, is for the fat to remain white. “And firm, but still delicate.”

Why do Lafer and Brandstätter go to such lengths in their search for the best ingredients for Lufthansa Business Class – traveling across Europe and tasting products in person? “Because my philosophy is that the product is the star of the show,” Lafer replies. “On an airplane, you can’t cook in the same complicated, à la minute way you can in a restaurant. But if the core ingredients are outstanding, you can still create something truly special – something the ​crew is proud to serve.”