Bacon and Pancetta

[Mud Hawk]

Just got 25# of pork belly into the cure today. Going to do half bacon and half pancetta. Will post updates when it is done:

[joshuaream]

Cool... I made carbonara pasta last night with some store bought Pancetta, it's probably our families favorite and easiest pasta.

Ever tried making Guanciale? (Bacon from the jowls)

[Mud Hawk]

Joshua, I have seen in in charcuterie blogs but never tasted it. It does look good though.

I just ordered a hygrometer two days ago. I want to make a curing chamber eventually. Sopresatta is high on my list of things to make.

I will post the cure recipe I am using if anyone wants to try this at home. It is really and easy project and tastes a million times better than mass produced store bought.

[jeremywilliams]

I would like to know how to make this.

[greenpeas]

I've always been fascinated by cured meats. I cure hams every year. I've always found it to be a really satisfying activity.

[Mud Hawk]

Here is a basic bacon/pancetta cure (minus the Juniper berry as I had none). Please be aware this recipe uses pink salt which is salt cut with a percentage of sodium nitrite and coloring so it cannot be confused with regular salt. You can find it at places like Gander Mountain in with the jerky supplies. It is also known as cure #1.

Pink salt is poisonous if not used correctly. Generally 1/4 tsp per pound of meat is the ratio. Treat it with respect and keep it out of childrens reach. The pink color makes a kid think it may be a sweet pink sugar. WRONG. Respect this stuff.... On with the recipe.

Home Cured Bacon

***Recipe is for 5 Pounds of Pork Belly***
Sooo... if you have a 10 pound belly, double this recipe, and so on...

1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
3 TBS Coarse Black Pepper
1 Tsp Thyme Powder
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Granulated Garlic
4 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 Tsp Pink Salt (Cure #1) MEASURE CAREFULLY

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, the bay leaves should become small particles and the ingredients will be equally mixed.

Pack all sides of the pork belly portion so it is crusted. Place in a 1 Gallon zip lock bag and make sure any of the mixture that falls off ends up in the bag as well. You will need to wipe the ziplock seal with a warm cloth so it will seal properly. Be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before you close the bage entirely.

Keep belly in a container in the fridge in case the bag leaks (the belly will begin to throw water). This bag must be flipped every other day to distribute an even cure. On the seventh day, rinse the belly of all the cure/seasonings. Pat it dry.

Smoke it with hickory (classic). The internal temperature should hit 150 degrees. Remove from the smoker and let rest at room temp for 30 minutes before portioning/freezing.

Cut it, fry it, LOVE it .

So you want to make it Pancetta...

First follow all of the above but dont smoke it or bring it to 150 degrees.

Here you can have your first experience in dry curing. Optimally, dry cured meats like proscuitto, salami, sopresatta use another type of cure (includes sodium nitrate) and you HAVE to maintain a unique environment: 50-60 degrees F at a humidity of 70-75% for as long as it takes what is being cured to loose a certain percentage of moisture/weight. This makes it inhospitable to bacteria and safe to eat (essentially RAW). Salami isn't cooked, you knew that right .

SOOO this is much easier and you do still have to cook Pancetta before you eat it. Read that previous sentence again...

On with the show:

You have two options at this point. Roll the cured belly tightly (after a loose sprinkling of whole peppercorns) and truss it. Be careful not to have any air pockets in the roll. Hang it in the fridge for two weeks and allow a good air flow around it. Option two is to keep it flat (can be suspended or on a sheet tray/wire rack) and dry for two weeks.

If you see any mold, make a strong brine (kosher salt and water) and wipe away any type of mold.

Portion, freeze, and enjoy!

[ghost recon]

Thanks for the recipe. I'm sure it is tasty. Speaking of pork I just finished two sausage burgers with grilled onions and red peppers and cream cheese. Healthy eating? you may ask...No, delicious...Absolutely.

[Mud Hawk]

Oh yeah, I avoided using fresh thyme, raw garlic, and toasting/freshly grinding the peppercorn to avoid inconsitency as well as maintain an equally distributed flavor... K.I.S.S. is a simple rule: Keep It Simple Stupid...

[joshuaream]

We lived in Italy about 8 years ago and the old lady who rented us our apartment cured hams and bacon in the attic during winter. No nitrates, but I don't think she was concerned about food poisoning. She also fearlessly picked and ate mushrooms from the forest, cured olives, made cheese, made jams and preserves, etc.

I'll have to try your recipe this winter.

[Mud Hawk]

Sounds tastey to me Ghost... Put that in some nice crunchy fresh Italian bread!

I gotta add though... The bacon you buy in US markets is like a crappy "lap dance" versus "Having a wild night in Amsterdam" .

I think the US meat industry GENERALLY forces a simple salt brine through the porkbelly flesh via pressure and that is the end of it before slicing and packaging...