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How to make f'n guanciale
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I've been experimenting with a little charcuterie-making. Been meaning to try guanciale for a while. For the uninitiated, guanciale is like bacon made from the jowl of a pig. Great for use in cooking, as flavouring and fat. No smoking involved, just dry curing.

I started by dry brining the jowls in salt, pepper and ground fennel seed for a week in the fridge. I put a weight on top of them to really press in the salt. Pulled them out and washed them down and set them out to dry overnight on a rack



Wrapped them up in cheesecloth to protect against insects and prepared them for hanging and recorded the wet weight. Will monitor the weight weekly to see if they are drying properly.



Basically now they have to thoroughly dry out. Tucked them into the wine cellar, see you in 8-10 weeks delicious pig cheeks!



Sorry Veganerd, at last they were raised humanely!

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Re: How to make f'n guanciale [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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Looks like it needs some FN mac n cheese ;)

I assume this would also be good wrapped around asparagus & cream cheese?
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Re: How to make f'n guanciale [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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racin_rusty wrote:
Looks like it needs some FN mac n cheese ;)

I assume this would also be good wrapped around asparagus & cream cheese?

I guess you could but I am not sure why you would.

Imagine very fatty bacon. Excellent flavour enhancer. Use it to coat a cast iron pan before you f'n cook a steak or a burger.

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Re: How to make f'n guanciale [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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I thought it said "guacamole" and when I saw the pictures I was like...



Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: How to make f'n guanciale [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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Oh my god. That looks amazing.

I'm a huge guanciale fan.

One thing I want to try making is a big porchetta.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How to make f'n guanciale [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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CaptainCanada wrote:
racin_rusty wrote:
Looks like it needs some FN mac n cheese ;)

I assume this would also be good wrapped around asparagus & cream cheese?


I guess you could but I am not sure why you would.

Imagine very fatty bacon. Excellent flavour enhancer. Use it to coat a cast iron pan before you f'n cook a steak or a burger.

So in the first week did you do a wet brine? I've done buckboard bacon a few times - not as sophisticated as your approach. I cheated and used the High Mountain cure and it's a dry brine. It's what I use to make duck bacon, the curing process takes about 12 days and then it's hot smoked until the core temp of the breasts reaches about 140-142 F. Combine that with goose salami and it makes a very unique but tasty pizza.
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Re: How to make f'n guanciale [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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racin_rusty wrote:
CaptainCanada wrote:
racin_rusty wrote:
Looks like it needs some FN mac n cheese ;)

I assume this would also be good wrapped around asparagus & cream cheese?


I guess you could but I am not sure why you would.

Imagine very fatty bacon. Excellent flavour enhancer. Use it to coat a cast iron pan before you f'n cook a steak or a burger.

So in the first week did you do a wet brine? I've done buckboard bacon a few times - not as sophisticated as your approach. I cheated and used the High Mountain cure and it's a dry brine. It's what I use to make duck bacon, the curing process takes about 12 days and then it's hot smoked until the core temp of the breasts reaches about 140-142 F. Combine that with goose salami and it makes a very unique but tasty pizza.

Just used a dry brine, simple salt, pepper and ground fennel seed.

Weighed them yesterday and they have lost about 14% of their weight in 18 days. My wine cellar smells like meat.

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