Easy Homemade Pancetta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do they make pancetta? ›

Pancetta is essentially an Italian recipe for cured pork belly. It's very similar to Bacon but is not smoked and is cured and dried for longer. Some recipes call for the addition of curing salts but this version doesn't.

Cook for 1 minute each side or until the fat sizzles and looks ready to eat. The meat will become more firm as it cooks, gently press with your thumb, the more spring back you get the hotter the protein cells have expand which means the more well done your meat is.

What can I use instead of pancetta? Bacon is the best substitute for adding flavour to soups, stews, pasta and salads. For charcuterie or wrapping meats or poultry, prosciutto is your next best option.

Yes. In fact it's the same cut, just sliced differently. I think it needs to be cured to qualify as pancetta; if not cured, it'd just be a piece of pork belly.

Production process

The pork belly skin is removed before the pork is salted and held in a tub of brine for 10–14 days in a low-temperature and high-humidity environment. The brine is usually composed of salt, nitrite, ascorbate, spices such as black pepper, chilli, garlic, juniper, and rosemary, and sometimes nitrate.

Pancetta is dry-cured and fully aged, so it can be thinly sliced and eaten raw. You can also cook thin slices the same way you cook bacon in a pan if you want to eat alongside eggs with toast. Dicing and slowly rendering the fat out of it is a common way to start many recipes.

in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Often, people may overcook pancetta which can lead it to lose its distinct flavor and turn excessively crispy. This could be because of its visual similarity to bacon. To get the most out of pancetta, it should ideally be cooked lightly till it just begins to crisp around the edges.

Place the rack at the back of your refrigerator and leave it for three weeks. You want it to be at the back because you want to put it in a spot that has the most consistent temperature and won't be too affected by you opening and closing the fridge door. After three weeks, the pancetta is ready.

Bacon is cheaper than pancetta, but it can also provide practically all of the same qualities we love.

Which is better pancetta or prosciutto? ›

Pancetta has a far smoother texture than prosciutto, and the flavor is much more delicate than the pork belly. Because of these differences in taste and texture, the recipes that they're used in vary greatly.

Pancetta is the same cut as American bacon, so that's the first substitute that comes to mind. Canadian bacon, salt pork, prosciutto, smoked ham, and smoked sausage are all good choices as well.

Pancetta is made from pork belly, the underside of a pig. It's cured, but not smoked, and seasoned with salts, spices, and other ingredients such as juniper berries. Pancetta can be eaten both cooked and uncooked, and it has a fatty, silky texture and light pink color. Pancetta takes about 3 weeks to cure.

Can I eat pancetta raw? Absolutely. The curing process inhibits bacteria growth and makes Pancetta safe to eat. The end product is an aesthetically pleasing spiral of meat that is just as safe and even more delicious than cooked varieties of the same cut – we're looking at you, Bacon.

Pancetta — when made the traditional way in Italy with salts and spices and no nitrates or artificial preservatives — can be a healthier alternative to bacon because it's less processed and usually lower in fat and calories.

Bacon is cured with salt and then smoked and sliced. It needs to be cooked before you eat it. Pancetta (sometimes called Italian bacon) is cured with salt, black pepper, and spices and rolled into a cylinder. It is never smoked.

Prosciutto is cut from the hind leg of a pig and is salt-cured over the course of weeks or months. While prosciutto is a saltier product than pancetta, it has less fat and is considered by some to be the healthier option between the two.

So pancetta is cured and unsmoked, while bacon is cured and smoked, but both need to be cooked before being eaten. They can be used interchangeably in dishes, depending on whether or not you want a smoky flavor.