Depending on how you like your bacon: - streaky or side - from pork belly; middle - a combination of back and streaky bacon (from side of pig (vertical)); back - loin; cheek or jowl - self-explanatory Guanciale in Italian (very sweet meat and the fat melts in your mouth).
Method:
Bone out pork belly (or any other cut)
3.5 per cent salt per kilogram of pork belly
Place pork belly in a tray, rub 75 per cent of salt over inside and side surfaces (meat), rub remaining 25 per cent over skin side
Wrap in a vacuum bag (luxury version :) and evacuate) or cover in cling film and then cover with two overlapping strong plastic bags and place in tray
Please in the bottom of your refrigerator
Turn daily (top to bottom, bottom to top, etc), curing for a total of seven days
Remove from tray, remove plastic bags, etc, brush off salt with your hand, and place cured bacon on a plate / cake rack and cover, loosely, with greaseproof paper / parchment paper
Leave for two to four days (the longer it is the harder it gets) in bottom of refrigerator
Take out, place in freezer for three to four hours to get it firm enough for slicing (either slice your self, or go along to your friendly butcher and get him to slice it on his slicer)
This bacon will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks, as long as you allow air to flow around it (as above - on a plate covered loosely with greaseproof paper). The drier it gets the more intense the flavour.
For Guanciale (differences)
3.5 per cent salt plus 1.5 per cent black pepper and herbs of your choice (eg, Thyme)
As above, turn daily for a total of seven days
Leave for four to five days
Then as above.
Enjoy :)
Method:
Bone out pork belly (or any other cut)
3.5 per cent salt per kilogram of pork belly
Place pork belly in a tray, rub 75 per cent of salt over inside and side surfaces (meat), rub remaining 25 per cent over skin side
Wrap in a vacuum bag (luxury version :) and evacuate) or cover in cling film and then cover with two overlapping strong plastic bags and place in tray
Please in the bottom of your refrigerator
Turn daily (top to bottom, bottom to top, etc), curing for a total of seven days
Remove from tray, remove plastic bags, etc, brush off salt with your hand, and place cured bacon on a plate / cake rack and cover, loosely, with greaseproof paper / parchment paper
Leave for two to four days (the longer it is the harder it gets) in bottom of refrigerator
Take out, place in freezer for three to four hours to get it firm enough for slicing (either slice your self, or go along to your friendly butcher and get him to slice it on his slicer)
This bacon will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks, as long as you allow air to flow around it (as above - on a plate covered loosely with greaseproof paper). The drier it gets the more intense the flavour.
For Guanciale (differences)
3.5 per cent salt plus 1.5 per cent black pepper and herbs of your choice (eg, Thyme)
As above, turn daily for a total of seven days
Leave for four to five days
Then as above.
Enjoy :)
