Ten years ago when I first wanted to try to make my own bacon, pork belly wasn't available at any of my local grocery stores. If I wanted it, I would have had to order it from a specialty meat house. These days it's everywhere. Costco has 7-10 pound slabs in the meat section. Regional grocery stores sell it in smaller packaging.
It's become a very popular cut of meat at restaurants as well. In fact, I recently enjoyed a fantastic pork belly confit with boursin polenta at a local restaurant and replicated it at home...but that's another blog post. This post is about taking the first steps to making cured meats.
Pancetta is a true delicacy. There are countless applications to use it. The addition of pancetta to any dish adds a layer of flavor that can turn ordinary food into something spectacular. Using it is easy; finding it and paying for it are not! Half my local grocery stores don't carry it, except in prepackaged slices next to the "so and so has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-a." When I do find it, the price per pound makes me look over to the choice beef tenderloin as a cheaper option... Luckily, like most fine foods Pancetta is surprisingly simple (and fun) to make at home. Not only will you have a better finished product, you'll save a lot of money.
If you can find a plastic ziptop bag that's big enough to hold the pork belly flat, use that to contain it. I use plastic wrap I carefully overlap to hold in as much of the juices as possible. It doesn't have to be airtight, but the tighter you can get it, the better.
Lay the pancetta on a paper towel lined baking sheet (or serving tray or cake pan) that's large enough for it to lay flat. Put another tray or cutting board on top of it with about three pounds of weight to provide compression. Place this in the refrigerator for seven days. Flip the pork belly once per day to redistribute the cure. As the cure draws moisture out, juices will accumulate around it. Make sure your baking sheet or cake pan is large enough to contain it or you will have a mess to clean up in your refrigerator.
After 7 days check to see if the pancetta is firm throughout. If it's not, give it a few more days, continuing to flip it over each day. Once it's firm, take it out of the plastic and thoroughly rinse the cure, spices, and herbs off with cold water. Use paper towels to dry all the moisture off. After it's completely dry, take another tablespoon of coarsely ground black pepper and sprinkle it over one side.
Your last step before drying is to roll the pancetta as tightly as you can (pepper side in). Do your best to avoid having any air pockets in the roll. Use cotton twine to tie it in position...I prefer to use a half hitch every 1-2 inches, but any knot you like will suffice as long as it keeps the roll tight. Make your knots uniform for an artisanal look. Before you tie off the ends, cut the pancetta so it's flush, tight, and even on the ends. Leave enough twine on each end so you can hang it to dry.
In a cool dark humid place (probably your basement) hang your pancetta for two weeks or until the weight has dropped by 20%. Ideal conditions would be 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity 50-65%. A little air flow is good, but it shouldn't be in front of a fan. If you're like me and don't have a basement, investigate all possibilities where you can find the right conditions. If you can't get conditions close to this, place it in the bottom vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. The process will take longer there, but the results will be very similar.
Pancetta doesn't have to be aged/dried, but the process concentrates the flavors and I believe ends in a much better product. I no longer put cheesecloth on my pacetta as it tends to stick when it's time to remove it.
After a couple weeks, your pancetta should be ready. You can enjoy it in many different ways. It should keep in the refrigerator for a month and in the freezer for at least six months.
This version of pancetta should be cooked before you eat it. There is a way to cure pancetta so it can be enjoyed as charcuterie, but that's another post...
Superior pancetta for 1/10th of the price you would pay at the grocery store. Bon appetit!
After a couple weeks, your pancetta should be ready. You can enjoy it in many different ways. It should keep in the refrigerator for a month and in the freezer for at least six months.
This version of pancetta should be cooked before you eat it. There is a way to cure pancetta so it can be enjoyed as charcuterie, but that's another post...
Superior pancetta for 1/10th of the price you would pay at the grocery store. Bon appetit!
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