A pound of pancetta
I love grocery stores. Even the main stream ones still have something new to discover and find. A few weeks ago, that discovery was a 1 lb chunk of pancetta.
Don't get me wrong, you can find pancetta in most grocery stores. But sometimes it's cut thin, or looks dried out, or is already cubed for you. While each of those cuts (well, not the dried out stuff) does have it's culinary place, I wanted to be able to cut pancetta how I wanted to.
For those of you that are unfimilar with this Italian product, pancetta is unsmoked pork belly that is cured in salt and spices such as nutmeg, pepper and fennel. After drying out for a few months, you get this amazing product. Usually you can find it in the cured meat (packaged or deli) area of your grocery store. Often referred to as Italian bacon, it can be substituted as such. But please take note that using American bacon in place of pancetta will change the flavor, as we smoke our bacon here.
But seriously.... we Americans cook enough bacon, try something new.
Before opening it, I wanted a plan of attack. What was I going to create with this amazing pork product? As most best laid plans go, when it was opened, I had no plan. But before I knew it, the pound was gone. It made it into pasta, braises, flatbread and pizza.
I have a whole list of scribbled ideas on what to do the next time I find myself in possesion of such a treat.
I'm still amazed at how quickly a pound of pork belly can go. One of life's mysteries I guess.
So, I want to know, what would you do with a pound of pancetta?
Don't get me wrong, you can find pancetta in most grocery stores. But sometimes it's cut thin, or looks dried out, or is already cubed for you. While each of those cuts (well, not the dried out stuff) does have it's culinary place, I wanted to be able to cut pancetta how I wanted to.
For those of you that are unfimilar with this Italian product, pancetta is unsmoked pork belly that is cured in salt and spices such as nutmeg, pepper and fennel. After drying out for a few months, you get this amazing product. Usually you can find it in the cured meat (packaged or deli) area of your grocery store. Often referred to as Italian bacon, it can be substituted as such. But please take note that using American bacon in place of pancetta will change the flavor, as we smoke our bacon here.
But seriously.... we Americans cook enough bacon, try something new.
Before opening it, I wanted a plan of attack. What was I going to create with this amazing pork product? As most best laid plans go, when it was opened, I had no plan. But before I knew it, the pound was gone. It made it into pasta, braises, flatbread and pizza.
I have a whole list of scribbled ideas on what to do the next time I find myself in possesion of such a treat.
I'm still amazed at how quickly a pound of pork belly can go. One of life's mysteries I guess.
So, I want to know, what would you do with a pound of pancetta?
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