Earlier this week I was introduced to the word “guanciale”.
Since it was my first time hearing it, I decided to take a deep dive into what it is and how you cook it.
According to research, guanciale is a pork product made from a pig's cheek.
The name “guanciale” comes from the Italian word for cheek, guancia. Research reveals that it is super fatty and usually cured with salt, sugar and spices. It can be bought raw but in most cases, it is sold cured.
Usually, guanciale is cut into matchsticks or thin strips, and the fat is rendered, much like bacon.
Often the guanciale fat is as important as the guanciale itself – in pasta sauces and salad dressing, it infuses the entire dish with richness and the saltiness from the pork.
You will also find it on charcuterie boards, wrapped around vegetables, chopped up and tossed with pasta and served in sandwiches. It is also sometimes strewn over wood-fired pizzas for a salty, meaty bite.
How do you use it?
Guanciale is an excellent way to add richness and meatiness to a dish. It is typically cooked by crisping up over low heat until the fat is rendered.
Then, the fat is incorporated into a sauce, such as a carbonara or gricia, while the meat is used as a topping in the same pasta dish. It’s also sautéed with greens or beans or used in stews and ragus.
According to Fine Dining Lovers, guanciale is not only an ingredient in pasta dishes. They reveal that in Italy it is often enjoyed as a winter snack, thinly sliced and eaten with bread or other cured meats and accompanied with a glass of Chianti for maximum authenticity.
To find this delicious ingredient, Google online South African stores that sell it, and in a matter of days, you’ll be cooking and devouring this tasty treat.
You can read the latest IOL Food digimag here.