Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [19]
6. Using the string to suspend it, hang the pancetta in a cool, humid place to dry for 2 weeks. The ideal conditions are 50 to 60 degrees F./8 to 15 degrees C. with 60 percent humidity, but a cool, humid basement works fine, as will most any place that’s out of the sun. (I often hang mine in our kitchen next to the hanging pans on either side of the stove.) Humidity is important: If your pancetta begins to get hard, it’s drying out and should be wrapped and refrigerated. The pancetta should be firm but pliable, not hard. Because pancetta isn’t meant to be eaten raw, the drying isn’t as critical a stage as it is for items such as prosciutto or dry-cured sausages. But drying pancetta enhances its texture, intensifies its flavor, and helps it to last longer.
7. After drying, the pancetta can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 3 weeks, or more, or frozen for up to 4 months. Freezing makes it easier to slice thin.
Yield: 4 pounds/1.75 kilograms pancetta
MAKING PANCETTA
The rough edges of the pork belly should be squared off so that it has clean flat edges and a neat square or rectangular shape. The scraps can be used to make Salt Pork (page 48) or frozen for making sausage (fat and meat from the belly are delicious in sausage).
The cure should be rubbed liberally over the entire surface of the pork belly.
When the belly is completely cured, it is thoroughly rinsed under cold water to remove the cure, salts, sugar, and any aromatics. Some pepper or other seasonings may remain stuck to the meat and fat—this is fine.
After the belly has been cured and thoroughly rinsed, the meat side of the belly is seasoned again with coarsely ground pepper.
It’s important to roll the pork belly tightly to avoid trapping any air inside the roll.
The pancetta is tied tightly to secure its shape.
Cross section of finished pancetta.
GUANCIALE
Guanciale, cured and dried pork jowl, comes from the Italian word for cheek, guancia. It’s a small fatty cut that has a superb flavor when dry-cured. The cure here is similar to that of a savory bacon or pancetta and can be used in place of either. One teaspoon of pink salt can be added to the cure to maintain a red color and more piquant flavor. Because of its size, guanciale is one of the easiest recipes for the home cook. Guanciale can be used immediately, or it can be well wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or frozen for 4 months or longer.
One 2-pound/1-kilogram pork jowl
THE DRY CURE
1/2 cup/70 grams kosher salt
1/3 cup/70 grams sugar
2 cloves/10 grams garlic, mashed with the flat side of a knife
15 black peppercorns, cracked with a pan or the flat side of a knife
1 large bunch thyme
1. Rinse and pat the jowl dry. Trim from the jowl any stray tissue and any glands (fatty discs that you’ll be able to discern because they’re slightly off color from the fat and have a different texture).
2. Combine the dry cure ingredients in a bowl and toss to distribute ingredients.
3. Place the jowl in a nonreactive container in which it fits snugly or into a Ziploc bag. Pour the dry cure over the jowl and rub all sides of the jowl thoroughly. Refrigerate the jowl until it feels stiff all the way through rather than squishy, for 4 to 6 days. Redistribute the cure over the jowl every other day.
4. Remove from the pan or bag and rinse well under cold water to remove all residual cure. Pat the jowl dry.
5. With a knife, poke a hole in one corner (not too close to the edge) and slip a long piece of butcher’s string through it. Hang in a cool, dry place until completely stiff to the touch but not hard; it should have some give and should take