Guanciale () is an
Italian cured meat product prepared from
pork jowl or cheeks. Its name is derived from ''guancia'', the
Italian word for 'cheek'.
Production
Pork cheek is rubbed with
salt and spices (typically ground
black or
red pepper,
thyme or
fennel, and sometimes
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
) and
cured for three weeks or until it loses approximately 30% of its original weight. Its flavour is stronger than other pork products, such as
pancetta, and its texture is more delicate. Upon cooking, the fat typically melts away.
In cuisine
Guanciale may be cut and eaten directly in small portions, but is often used as an ingredient in
pasta dishes such as ''
spaghetti alla carbonara'' and sauces like ''
sugo all'amatriciana
Sugo all'amatriciana (), or alla matriciana (in Romanesco dialect, ''Romanesco'' dialect),Ravaro (2005), p. 395 also known as salsa all'amatriciana, is a traditional Italy, Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino roman ...
''.
[ republication of ''La Buona Vera Cucina Italiana'', 1966.]
It is a specialty of
central Italy, particularly
Umbria and
Lazio.
Pancetta, a cured Italian bacon which is normally not smoked, is sometimes used as a substitute when guanciale is not available.
References
External links
{{Bacon
Bacon dishes
Cuts of pork
Salumi