Resolution do-over

[madbaker]

Since bonacorsi cooked the Poulet Roti recipe, I thought I'd post one for this week that I actually made. That and I have several other dishes already planned and queued up...
So, another Resolution Recipe: Pancetta.

1 5-lb slab of pork belly, skin removed
Dry cure:
4 garlic cloves, crushed (I leave it to the reader to decide whether I used more)
2 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
4 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp juniper berries, lightly crushed
4 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tsp nutmeg
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme

Trim the belly so its edges are neat and square. Combine the cure ingredients in a bowl, reserving half the pepper, and mix to distribute the pink salt. Rub the cure all over the belly, giving it a uniform coating. Place the belly in a 2-gallon Ziploc and refrigerate for 7 days. Every other day, rub the belly (without removing from the bag) and flip the Ziploc over to redistribute the seasonings.

Check the belly for firmness: if it feels firm at its thickest point, it's cured. If it's still squishy, refrigerate in the cure for 1-2 more days.

Remove the pork belly and rinse it thoroughly under cold water, patting dry. Sprinkle the meat side with the remaining 2 Tbsp pepper. Starting from a long side, roll up the belly tightly (as if rolling up a thick towel) and tye it tightly with butcher's string at 1-2" intervals. Suspend the belly and hang it in a cool, humid place to dry for 2 weeks. Ideally, 50-60 degrees with 60 percent humidity. It should be firm but pliable. Drying enhances its texture, intensifies the flavor, and preserves it.

Freeze and slice thin. The pancetta will need to be cooked before eating, of course.

What worked: It tasted good - sweeter and more subtle than bacon. I'm already planning Fettucine Alfredo and Eggs Benedict (with homemade sourdough English muffins, natch). At the fuzzy upstairs neighbor's suggestion, we got a canvas suit bag to hang the meat in. That kept the dust off and rodents out.

What didn't: I forgot that the drying thing meant drips. The bag is now stained - not a problem esthetically, but a potential hygiene issue if we hadn't washed it after the hanging was done. Also, the rolled-up meat developed a few mold spots. Not the good dry powdery kind, but the fuzzy kind. I trimmed away those sections and washed the whole thing, but next time I'll do a light wash with a mild brine just before hanging to discourage mold. The wife also suggested that switching out the bag every week might help as we could wash any meat juices away more often.

Also, I slightly cut the tips of two fingers on my left hand last night on the electric slicer. My own carelessness, there, but it's not major - just annoying for typing.

Will I make it again? Probably, although we have something like six pounds of pancetta to eat up first, so it may not be this year. Now that the canvas bag concept has proven its worth I can try hang-curing sausages...

What I'm reading: Christopher Moore, You Suck! (finally)

Comments

[naadhira.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiosity, where are you hanging this to cure? I'm not sure what would give us the proper combo of humidity and temperature without digging out a root cellar (which is on the list of "to-do", but WAY down on that list).

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

We have an oubliette.