Other Guanciale affumicato

[riba]

Tidy up the pork jowl,
add spice mix with the following ratio

• pork jowl - 1000 gram
• black pepper - 19 gram
• brown sugar - 11 gram
• curing salt (coloroso salt - 0.6% nitrite salt) - 27 gram
• (juniper berry - 4 gram)
• laurel leaf
• (nutmeg 2 gram)
• (some thyme)
• (garlic- 1 clove)

and rub all over.

Note that I use 0.6% nitrite salt, which is commonly available in Europe. (the percentage is not a typo, I believe instacure #1 can be obtained in the US, which has has 6.25% sodium nitrite)

Vacuum seal the jowl with the spice mix and refrigerate for a week.
Remove from packaging, dry with kitchen towel, and hang in a cool(ish) dark, regularly ventilated place (I use my garage).
Occasionally check for fungus, which can be removed with a bit of vinegar.
I air dry for 2 to 4 weeks.
Cold smoke overnight and presto.

Great thinly sliced (uncooked) with some good tomatoes and onions, with fried rice, and of course carbonara.

It freezes really well.

(I think the spice mix is Ruhlman's recipe)

 

[Carl Kotte]

Thank you riba. Looks awesome!

 

[rickbern]

Grrrr. There's just sometimes living in an apartment limits your horizons.

 

[mise_en_place]

Grrrr. There's just sometimes living in an apartment limits your horizons.

During the colder months there may be a drafty place in your Brooklyn apartment that works. You may also be able to just hang a jowl or two in your fridge if it isn't too crowded. We dry our guanciale down in our walk-in. Works really well as long as there's "breathing" room for meat.

 

[mise_en_place]

Note that I use 0.6% nitrite salt, which is commonly available in Europe. (the percentage is not a typo, I believe instacure #1 can be obtained in the US, which has has 6.25% sodium nitrite)

Instacure, TCM, and Prague Powder are all easy enough to get in the States. However, pay attention to the numbers. Instacure #1 and #2 are NOT interchangeable. Do some reading before you get into this stuff and everybody will be happy and healthy.

 

[banzai_burrito]

Grrrr. There's just sometimes living in an apartment limits your horizons.

Maybe an external garment rack somewhere might help?

https://www.target.com/p/metal-base...HQdPfAPuTwdAJyenB_n3dUE7Z5HS4lukaAtA6EALw_wcB

 

[Garm]

Looks and sounds great!
I just got a real craving for all'amatriciana.