I have not posted too much about my pork projects here yet. I have been very busy since I launched this site, and my curing chamber (a.k.a. "the wine fridge") has been full. I am making Guanciale for the first time. For the uninitiated, guanciale is a Roman-style bacon made from hog jowls. The first big obstacle to overcome is to find hog jowls. They are nowhere to be found in today's modern grocery store. If you do find them, they have been cured and smoked. I have had more so-called "butchers" at grocery stores look at me like I am nuts when I ask for specialty cuts; such as jowls, fat back, or bones.Recently, Chef and Restauranteur, Donald Link opened Cochon Butcher here in New Orleans. These guys run an impressive operation. I was most impressed when I ordered jowls and they came in a 4 1/2 lbs. Most of the recipes I have seen call for 1-2 LB jowls.
I bought one and salt cured it. It has been curing in my wine fridge for a month now and I am dying to try it. It should be ready after a month, but stands to improve with age (up to 6 months). Patience is a virtue, so they say. I'll wait a few more weeks.
Stay tuned...
David
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2 comments:
No harm in cutting of a tiny, little slice.........you want to make sure it's doing ok. ;)
I pulled it out and weighed it last night. I am at a 19% weight loss. I put it back for a little longer, but I think I will remove it soon. I am ready to try it and need to make room for my next project: Saucisson Sec.
David
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