Pancetta | Print This Recipe

Yield: 18 lb/9.16 kg

• 2 fresh pork bellies, skin on (10 lb/4.54 kg each)

Pancetta Dry Cure

• 1 lb/454 g salt
• 4 oz/113 g brown sugar
• 4 oz/113 g cracked black pepper
• 2 oz/57 g juniper berries, crushed
• 8 bay leaves, crushed
• 2 tsp/4 g grated nutmeg
• 2 tbsp/6 g thyme leaves
• 8 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 oz/28 g tinted curing mix (TCM)

1. Weigh the pork bellies and adjust the basic cure as necessary, using a ratio of 8 oz/227 g dry cure for every 10 lb/4.54 kg fresh belly.
2. Combine the cure ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Rub the cure mix over the bellies, making sure to cover all areas. Stack skin side down in plastic or stainless steel tubs.
4. Refrigerate for 7 to 10 days to cure, overhauling them every other day.
5. Rinse the bellies in cool water. Remove the skin.
6. Roll up into a cylinder and tie tightly if desired. Hang the pancetta and allow to air-dry for 2 to 3 weeks in a dry, cool area.
7. Slice the pancetta as desired for sautéing or other preparations immediately or it may be wrapped well and refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.

Chef's note: Pancetta can be prepared in a natural shape, known as a stresa, or it may be rolled into a cylinder and tied before air-drying, referred to as an arrotola.

Recipe taken from: Garde Manger, 4th Edition