Cheeks are good.

It's been a cheeky week - we braised beef cheeks on Saturday, and last night we broke into the stash of guanciale I cured back in September. We've found that it's better after a few months' further aging.

...Oh, yeah. I fried it up and served it with capers and house-smoked peppers over pasta. It was delicious, and the rendered fat was a clear pale yellow. I'm keeping that for future cooking.

What I'm reading: Dani & Eytan Kollin, The Unincorporated War