Guanciale

#1

Hey @richard,
I was thinking about you when I went to my favourite shop today to buy some italian salumi. Saw stacks of guanciale, flat pancetta and rolled pancetta. Wish I knew how to send guanciale to Australia. Hope you found a way to source it in Canberra.

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(Richard Morris) #2

I have bought it once at a deli here that caters to italian immigrants, but it’s rare because everyone is after it. The deli closed down 6 months ago sadly.

I found out last week that I can’t even buy fresh cheek/jowl but I can buy whole heads for $6 … but they are out of stock because the restaurants buy them all up.

My partner Julie is an executive at a fine restaurant in town and so I’m going to talk to chef and see if he can get me a few, and I’ll butcher them and cure the jowls myself. I could even smoke them but I don’t think I’d need to do that with jowl, right?

#3

The guanciale you see in the photo above are not smoked. Just coated in salt, pepper, (nitrates too I think) and hung in temp control to cure. I think you would be able to suspend in your fridge. But it takes a long time to cure (a few months).

You can also smoke the jowl, too. But it will be more baconee. Not a bad thing, but another direction on taste. You will still get a more buttery flavoured taste, as the jowl fat is softer and more delicate. It melts in your hand just with the heat of your hand. That’s why thin slices of guanciale disappear into the pores of hot toast like a pat of melted butter.

(Richard Morris) #4

We make all kinds of long cure foods - like cheeses. That kind of thing is right up our alley

#5

Ok, I just looked at this site and the instructions look legit. I haven’t tried doing this at home…but, My parents used to do this sort of stuff when I was a kid. They cured meats, sausages, made all sorts if soft and hard cheeses…etc. So, maybe this will help as a guide:

(Lynne Austin Whitmore) #6

I have Australian Guanciale, Bunderra Berkshire does it they are Victorian but they do supply ACT and NSW.

#7

Thanks, Lynne! Richard has had a hard time getting his hands on some in Canberra.

Hey @richard …does this info help?

(Richard Morris) #8

Awesome :slight_smile: