Drying it, however, can get tricky. It needs to be hung with air circulating around it freely on all sides for two weeks, at cellar temperature. And the atmosphere can’t be too dry or too warm or cool. 58° is just about perfect.
A wine refrigerator is just about perfect – cool and climate-controlled. But most people have them filled with wine. Silly, eh?
Lacking the perfect drying environment, I took the easy route. I cured the beast in the fridge, then sliced it into matchsticks, and froze them in 3-ounce portions.
It is really good. The taste is much brighter and less salty, and less chemical tasting than commercial pancetta. The matchsticks may not be perfect if you need thin slices of pancetta to wrap a roast but, if you have a meat slicer, you might successfully accomplish this.
If you want it in matchsticks or cubed, I’m your pig.
A couple of notes. I bought the pink curing salt online. I found lots of sources, and learned that a small package will go a long way. The one I bought may last until I’m in my late 70s without any trouble, at which point I am sure my doctor will have forbidden pancetta.
I used a combination of fresh and dried herbs, but you can use definitely use all dried or all fresh - just remember the golden ratio: 3 times as much fresh as dried.
That’s about it. Easy homemade pancetta in just a week.
Pancetta is wonderful for many purposes, but my favorite two Roman pasta dishes are why I make it: Spaghetti alla Carbonara, and Bucatini all'Amatriciana. I suppose I should post those recipes for you... stay tuned!
~ David
Home-cured Pancetta
2 1/2 pounds pork belly, skin removed if desired
2 tablespoons dried shallots
1 teaspoon pink curing salt #1 (see note)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon juniper berries, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves coarsely chopped
Trim the skin off pork belly if you wish. (I didn’t this time but will next time.) Wash the belly and dry it thoroughly.
Place the belly in a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag.
Mix all the remaining ingredients well, then rub them evenly into all sides of the belly. Seal the bag, getting rid of as much air as possible. For future comparison, press your finger into the meat so you get a sense of how much it “gives.”
Place it in the refrigerator (I put it in the vegetable crisper drawer) and turn it every other day for a total of 8 days. After this, press your finger into the meat as you did the week before; it should now feel firm to your touch. If it is squishy, leave it in the fridge for another 2 days.
When it is done, remove it from the bag and rinse it well. Dry it thoroughly with paper towels then place it skin-side down on a cutting board (I recommend a plastic board that can be run through the dishwasher). If you like, add another tablespoon of cracked black pepper on the meat side and press it in with your hands.
At this point, I slice it into 1/4-inch slices, and then slice those into matchsticks. As it warms up, it will soften and become harder to slice. Putting it into the freezer for 5-10 minutes makes slicing easier.
Divide into portions of convenient size for your style of cooking, and freeze. Thaw portions as needed.
Ecco, pancetta!
Makes 36 ounces.
Note: pink curing salt #1, also know as Prague Powder, is a curing salt made of 6.25% sodium nitrite and table salt to use for short cures, like pancetta. Pink curing salt #2 combines sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite with table salt for longer cures - think hard salamis and sausages. The nitrate eventually turns into nitrite, lengthening the cure.
