Guanciale!

[Mmmph]

I was admiring the pizze produced in the WFO of member, dellavecchia, when I commented that "I wish I could find guanciale in NC." When member, TXCraig1, commented "You can always make your own. No shortage of pigs in NC...", I started thinking, he's right...why not?  

I made a couple of calls and found fresh pork jowls (small). I picked them up today, and I'll post up my results here.

Recipe for 1200g of fresh pork jowls:

33g Sea Salt
18g Sugar
15g Black Pepper
12g Garlic Powder
5g thyme
3g Pink salt - Cure #2
2g Allspice
Turkish bayleaf: 2 crushed

Placed all dry ingredients in spice mill and ground until fine.
Rubbed the jowls and placed in baggie in fridge to cure for 7-10 days
Turn baggie 2x day.

I'll update when it's time to hang them.

Pics:
1. Packaged pork jowls
2. Close-up of the label...4.67lb, $6.02USD
3. Salivary gland to be removed
4. Salivary gland redux
5. Skin side up
6. Flipped over
7. Trimmed up, down to 2.64lb (1200g)
8: Curing in a baggie for the next 7-10 days

[Jackitup]

Awesome. Smoke them up and stew with some beans and greens with some cornbread to soak up the juice........now I'm hungry!!
Jon

[TXCraig1]

Jon - there is no smoke on Guanciale.

Mmmph - that's great. I can't wait to hear how it comes out!

CL

[Jackitup]

"Typically" not smoked but I have had it both ways and both are delicious!
Jon

[Mmmph]

Okay...11 days in the cure. Flipped it over and rubbed it in the bag 2x everyday.

1. Peppery goodness, eh?
2. Rinsed off, with a little black pepper still stuck to them.
3. Hangin' in the fridge.
4. Flash shot in the fridge.

Now, it's 5 weeks, or so, until it's done.

[TXCraig1]

Dude, that is sweet.

CL

[Mmmph]

Well,

23 days in the fridge. Started with 1200g hung on 9/25. I now have 929g. That's a 23% loss of water.

There are tiny salt crystals forming on the skin. It really looks and smells great.

Next Monday, I'll slice some up and pan fry it. More pics then.

[TXCraig1]

That looks inceredible. I can hardly wait to hear how it tastes!!!

CL

[Mmmph]

PORKY, PEPPERY, PERFECTLY SALTED...FREAKING AWESOME!!!

I was going to let it cure for one more day, but couldn't wait. they finished at 918g, a 23.5% water loss from the original 1200g starting weight. I actually bought 2120g, but after trimming and wet curing. I had 1200g to hang.

I froze one whole and sliced the other. It smelled great. I fried it up and savored every slice. While I'm typing this and uploading pics, the flavors are still lingering on my tongue. The pepper still tingles and the porky unctuousness coats my gums and teeth. Wow, can't wait to sling some dough and use it on a pizza....

I don't know if I'll ever do this again, as refrigerator space is at a premium, but I recommend this recipe to all.

Pics:

1 Whole jowl after 11 days wet/28 days dry cure.
2. Sliced in half.
3. Sliced porky goodness.
4. in the frying pan. The fat almost went transparent.
5. Results, including rendered guanciale fat...Clear, save for the dried spices that were left on the meat.
6. A little closer.

[TXCraig1]

I am duly impressed. Congrats on the excellent results!

CL