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Ingredients:
- 5-6 lb belly trimmed and squared
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 grams of pink salt
- 50 grams kosher salt (Morton’s)
- 26 grams light molasses, or light brown sugar
- 50 grams black pepper, course ground in mortar
- 8 grams juniper berries, crushed not pulverized.
- 5 bay leaves, crumbled
- 1 large whole nutmeg nut, shaved with microplane
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
- 3 tbsp wild flower honey, smeared over whole belly before rub
Instructions:
- Mix together: garlic, pink salt, kosher salt, molasses, half of the black pepper, juniper, bay leaves, shaved nutmeg and thyme leaves.
- Smear honey over entire belly.
- Rub the salt and spice mixture over the entire belly.
- Place on a drying rack that’s set on top of a cooking sheet or pan in the refrigerator. Flip once a day every day or about 1 week or until the belly is stiff throughout. Drain off any liquid that appears, the pancetta should not sit in any liquid.
- Once it is ready, wash the rub off the belly, dry, rub with remaining black pepper, then roll very tightly (you could not do this tight enough).
- Hang until the aroma is right. You will know. About 2-3 weeks.
- After drying it can stay in the fridge for 3 weeks or frozen for up to 4 months.
This recipe is courtesy of Camas Davis, Portland Meat Collective: “this recipe was given to me by Levi Cole, who teaches a lot of the PMC’s classes. He received the recipe from Jon Taboada, chef/owner of Navarre, who in turn received it from Renatto, who in turn received it from his grandmother. Pancetta Via Renattos Grandmother. 1889-1995. Savoie Italy (Rest her Soul)”
Included with Food.Farmer.Earth in the Kitchen How to Butcher a Pig.