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Homemade Pancetta

This homemade pancetta is unsmoked bacon or pork belly that's cured with salt, sugar, pepper, juniper berries, bay leaves, nutmeg, and thyme. It's an ingredient in many Italian pasta dishes such as carbonara and as a substitute for guanciale in all’Amatriciana and can be hard to find.

Prep Time
30 mins
Additional Time
20 d 23 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
21 d
Servings: 90 slices
Calories: 121 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • One (5-pound) slab pork belly skin removed
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon pink curing salt known as DC Curing Salt, Prague Powder #1, and more (see FAQ above)
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper divided
  • 2 tablespoons juniper berries crushed with the bottom of a small saute pan
  • 4 bay leaves crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 or 5 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Trim the pork belly so that its edges are neat and square.
  2. Combine the garlic, pink salt, kosher salt, dark brown sugar, juniper berries, bay leaves, nutmeg, thyme, and half the black pepper in a bowl and mix thoroughly so that the pink salt is evenly distributed.
  3. Rub the mixture all over the pork belly to give it a uniform coating over the entire surface.
  4. Place the belly in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag or in a covered nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. Refrigerate for 7 days. Without removing the pork belly from the bag, rub the pork belly to redistribute the seasonings and flip it over every other day—a process called overhauling.
  5. After 7 days, check the pork belly for firmness. If it feels firm at its thickest point, it's cured. If it still feels squishy, refrigerate it with the cure for 1 to 2 more days.
  6. Remove the pork belly from the bag or container, rinse it thoroughly under cold water, and pat it dry. Sprinkle the meat side with the remaining black pepper.
  7. Starting from a long side, roll up the pork belly tightly, as you would a thick towel, and tie it very tightly with butcher's string at 1- to 2-inch intervals. It's important that there are no air pockets inside the roll. In other words, it can't be too tightly rolled. Alternately, the pancetta can be left flat, wrapped in cheesecloth, and hung to dry for 5 to 7 days.
  8. Using the string to suspend it, hang the rolled pancetta in a cool, humid place to dry for 2 weeks. The ideal conditions are 50°F to 60°F (8°C to 15°C) with 60 percent humidity, but a cool, humid basement works fine, as will most any place that's out of the sun. (I often hang mine in our kitchen next to the hanging pans on either side of the stove.) ☞ TESTER TIP: Humidity is important: If your pancetta begins to get hard, it's drying out and should be wrapped and refrigerated. The pancetta should be firm but pliable, not hard. Lort of like an almost ripe avocado. Because pancetta isn't meant to be eaten raw, the drying isn't as critical a stage as it is for items such as prosciutto or dry-cured sausages. But drying pancetta enhances its texture, intensifies its flavor, and helps it to last longer.
  9. After drying, the pancetta can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 3 weeks or more, or frozen for up to 4 months. Freezing makes it easier to slice thin.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 121kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 1g (0%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g Cholesterol 16mg (5%) Sodium 373mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 90slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 121

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 121kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 1g 0%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 373mg 16%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.