Every Piggy Has a Story Don't It/ Pancetta

I went to my local market yesterday to buy some pancetta. The clerk behind the counter told me the most bizarre story about pancetta, what it is, and how it is made I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I might add that this dissertation was unsolicited on my part. When I attempted to educate him, he flat out told me that I did not know what I was talking about. He actually said " I am the cook here. The cook is always right! Don't argue with the cook."

Well, I am very sorry to tell the cook that he was very wrong about absolutely everything he said to me. The interaction prompted me to share the story below. I wonder if I should deliver a copy to (The Cook).

Pancetta is salumi made of pork belly meat that is salt-cured. Pancetta in Italy is typically cooked to add depth to soups and pastas.

For cooking, it is often cut into cubes (cubetti di pancetta). In Italy, pancetta is commonly served as a cold cut, sliced thin, and eaten raw. It can also be used in carbonara pasta (although guanciale is generally regarded as more traditional).

The two basic types of pancetta are the arrotolata (rolled) and stesa (flat). The arrotolata, is mainly cut in thin slices and eaten raw as part of antipasti or simply as a component of a sandwich; the stesa is often used chopped as an ingredient in many recipes, or cut in thick strips, that are usually eaten grilled. There is also a version of arrotolata, to which capicola is added in the center of the roll (pancetta coppata).

The rolled type is typical of northern Italy, while the flattened type is typical of central and southern Italy.

While most pancetta is salt-cured and dried, pancetta affumicata is salt-cured and smoked, similar to bacon.

Most pancetta products are made using pork belly brined in a mixture of salt, dextrose, spices and spice extracts, sodium erythorbate, garlic, sugar, sodium nitrate, and/or sodium nitrite.

The pork belly skin is removed before the pork is salted and held in a tub of brine for 10–14 days in a low temperature and high humidity environment. The brine is usually composed of salt, nitrite, ascorbate, spices such as black pepper, chili, garlic, juniper, and rosemary, and sometimes nitrate.

After salting and brining, the pork is rolled, with layers of fat on the outside surrounding a meaty core. The rolled pork is then tightly packed into nettings or other fibrous casings. Rolling produces pancetta's distinctive shape, while the casing prevents case hardening in the latter stages of the production process.

Following rolling and packing, the pork undergoes enzymatic reactions facilitated by exposure to a warm environment of 22–24 °C for 24 to 36 hours. It is simultaneously exposed to cold smoke for desirable colors and flavors and to prevent molding.

Finally, the smoked pork is held at 12–14 °C and 72–75% relative humidity for 3–4 weeks for drying. The resulting pancetta retains approximately 70% of its original weight.

Pancetta is preserved by curing. Curing is done using a spice and salt mixture containing nitrates or nitrites, which act to extend the shelf life of cured meats. Nitrates help remove excess moisture from the pork, decreasing water activity and limiting available free water for the growth of spoilage-causing and pathogenic microorganisms. Sodium nitrites are used to prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria and listeria monocytogenes, as well as imparting desirable flavor and color. Nitrates are said to act like time-released nitrites and are used in pancetta products that require longer periods of curing and drying.

Other constituents of the spice mixture also act to preserve the shelf life of pancetta—black pepper acts as an antibiotic, and sodium erythorbate is used as an antioxidant.

Pancetta kept in its original packaging can be stored for up to 12 months. After opening, it has a shelf life of around 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

In the United States, under the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA, hormones are not allowed in hogs or poultry raised for food. Pork or poultry sold in the U.S. must be labeled as hormone-free and include a statement saying that federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.

In the European Union, the labeling of pancetta is regulated under the protected designation of origin regime. Only pancetta produced in the Italian region of Calabria may be labelled as pancetta di Calabria.

I used the pancetta I purchased to make porchetta.

This one is stuffed with fennel, apple, and Italian sausage.

I wrapped the outside with the pancetta to keep the pork loin moist and add extra excitement. I promise to show the full preparation in my next episode.

I served the porchetta with mashed sweet potato and a sauce made from the pan drippings, mushrooms, and marsala wine.

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I hope you enjoyed this posting.

Stop in next time to see the full recipe for the porchetta.

Alla prossima!

Buon cibo and buon appetito!

Chef John

Grazie mille!