The main ingredient used in all the Roman recipes like Carbonara, Amatriciana or pasta alla Gricia is not so easy to find outside of Italy. People use often pancetta but the real thing is the Guanciale!!
And here is the way to make it yourself at home!!
Ingredients:
-Raw pig cheek (or belly if you can’t find it)
-Coarse or kosher salt
-Finely ground black pepper
The raw pieces could weight from 700gr to 3kg, depending on age and size of the animal so it doesn’t matter if yours are different. If it’s smaller just make a few and try a piece every month so you can see the difference in aging.
I prefer to cure it in the fridge at 10 degrees celcius even if it will take a bit longer so I feel safer. To cure it in the cellar or basement, you need the right temperature and humidity which is not so easy to find.
I think 2-3 months is a good time to cure unless you really can’t wait!!
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