Guanciale!

This is just a little add on to my last post; when I came back from Rhodavale Pork last week I brought home 2 pork cheeks, one I braised for the dish on my post, and with the other I thought I’d have a go at making my own Guanciale.

Guanciale is a roman stye cured pork very similar to pancetta, which is traditionally used to make spaghetti alla carbonara and bucatini all’ amatriciana.

It takes about a month to make, so I thought I’d start talking about it now, and when it’s ready to use I’ll do up a recipe and add it on so you’ll all hopefully go out and have a crack at it.

A month is a long time to wait for lunch, especially when you’re as impatient as I am, but then again some things are just worth waiting for.

So, the first thing I did was dry the pork cheek really well, and make up a curing mixture: 4 tbs rock salt

2tbs brown sugar

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

I rubbed this all over the pork cheek, packed it into a vacuum bag and sealed it up. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, don’t panic, you can just pack it tightly into a container instead.

The most important thing is that it’s evenly covered with the curing mixture the whole time.

Then I refrigerated it for a week. After a week, I washed the pork cheek off, dried it really well again on paper towel, then I made up another mixture in my pestle and mortar:

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp salt flakes

I poked a hole through a corner of the cheek with a pairing knife and tied a piece of butchers twine through it so I can hang it up in my fridge.

Then I rubbed the salt and pepper mix all over the cheek and left it on a wire rack for a few hours, now it’s time to hang it up and wait for 3 weeks. Ahhhhhhhhhh………….I HATE waiting.

I’ll keep you all posted and let you know when it’s ready to use.

I’m thinking carbonara.

You can buy your own pork cheeks from Rhodavale Pork every Sunday at the Noosa Farmers Markets and have a go at making some guanciale too. I’d love to hear how it goes.

All the best.

Matt