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.

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.

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.

How is pancetta made? Crafting Pancetta is a deceptively simple process. Artisans source the pork belly and prepare the meat with either a dry salt and spice mixture or a liquid brine with similar ingredients. Spices and seasonings that are typically used include pepper, fennel, chile flakes, allspice, and nutmeg.

How to Cook Pancetta. 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.

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.

You can substitute bacon for pancetta. The main difference between the two is that pancetta is unsmoked, so if you can find bacon that is unsmoked, go for that. If you only have access to smoked bacon, you can blanch the bacon before you use it in your recipe to reduce the smoky flavor.

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.

Can you eat raw pancetta? ›

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.

The belly is then rolled into a log and hung to dry for several weeks. Because it's not smoked, pancetta has a pure, savory flavor that's reminiscent of bacon but deeper and richer. You can enjoy pancetta raw, although it's usually cooked.

Health Benefits of Pancetta

Offering a good amount of dietary protein, pancetta is rich in B vitamins and minerals like phosphorus and selenium. It has lower fat contents than other bacon products.

Once you have cooked your pancetta you have a beautiful skillet of fat left. This fat is just as important as the meat and generally used in recipes featuring pancetta. For this bruschetta, I took some sliced baguettes and toasted them in the pan with the fat, which made them so delicious and rich!

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 and pancetta are both cut from the belly of the pig, but the products are not identical. 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.

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.