Homemade pancetta is incredibly easy to make. Using the freshest, and best quality pork that you can find is the most important step, the rest is easy as pie!
Did you ever think that you could make your own pancetta? (Pronounced “pan-chay-tah”.)
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(I apologize to all my vegetarian readers, as you’ll probably want to skip this post altogether.)
Now, back to making pancetta; my nonni (grandparents) in Italy used to have homemade pancetta, sausages and prosciutto hanging in their cantina. Even as a child, these things were on par with “sweeties” and chocolate in my book! The smell of the cantina will forever be in my top 5 aromas, and quite possibly number 1.
My mother has a basement in Michigan. With the cold weather that her climate brings, she too makes homemade cured sausages from time to time. Living in eternally warm and sunny Los Angeles makes it difficult to make such delicacies, but not impossible, because where there’s a will, there’s a way.
How, you ask? Well, everyone has a refrigerator, and that’s how. First of all, making your own pancetta will not only make you feel incredibly accomplished, but it will taste lot better than what you can buy.
However, another added bonus is that it will be NITRATE and NITRITE FREE.* You can have it on hand and it will last much longer if you have a food sealer. Follow the simple step by step directions below and you too can make homemade pancetta. Yes, even if you live in Los Angeles or a similarly warm climate.
Homemade Pancetta
Ingredients
- fresh pork belly slices, with rind (preferably organic), do NOT use pork which has previously been frozen
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (Morton’s is not the same)
- white wine
- black pepper
- crushed red pepper (optional)
- ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Day 1
Salt the pork pieces generously with Kosher Salt and leave for 24 hours in the fridge.
Day 2
The next day, rinse the pork with water, pat dry with a paper towel, and rinse in white wine (do not pat dry.)
Prepare a plate or tray with the desired amount of pepper in any combination. (The amount shown did not make a very spicy pancetta. Mix all the pepper together. I love these stainless steel trays, they come in an interlocking set of three.
Rub the pepper into the pancetta pieces until well coated, adding more pepper as needed.
Set aside on waxed paper.
You will need a small tray which will fit long wooden skewers to rest upon. This creates something that the pancetta pieces can be placed on to dry so that the air moves around it. You can see what I have done here.
The following 2 or 3 weeks
This will be kept in the refrigerator, loosely covered with wax paper for about 2 to 3 weeks. Turn the pieces everyday (using all 4 sides) until the pancetta has cured without becoming overly dry. It should look like this.
At this time, my preference is to seal it with a food sealer, which locks out all the air, allowing the pancetta to keep refrigerated a longer period of time.
Finally, you can use the pancetta however you choose, but do not eat it without properly cooking it first.* Here is a recipe for fresh pea soup using pancetta, and a pasta recipe which includes pancetta.
*As with any uncooked, cured meat product, there are risks involved if the product is not made correctly, or if it is not cooked thoroughly. I take no responsibility for any illness incurred from using this recipe.
Homemade Pancetta (How to Make Pancetta)
A simple way to use your refrigerator to make homemade pancetta.
Ingredients
- fresh pork belly slices, with rind (preferably organic), do NOT use pork which has previously been frozen
- Kosher salt
- white wine
- black pepper
- crushed red pepper (optional)
- ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
Day 1
Salt the pork pieces generously with Kosher Salt and leave for 24 hours in the fridge.
Day 2
The next day, rinse the pork with water, pat dry with a paper towel, and rinse in white wine (do not pat dry.)
Prepare a plate or tray with the desired amount of pepper in any combination. (The amount shown did not make a very spicy pancetta. Mix all the pepper together.
Rub the pepper into the pancetta pieces until well coated, adding more pepper as needed.
Set aside on waxed paper.
You will need a small tray which will fit long skewers to rest upon. This creates something that the pancetta pieces can be placed on to dry so that the air moves around it. You can see what I have done here.
The following 2 or 3 weeks
This will be kept in the refrigerator, loosely covered with wax paper for about 2 to 3 weeks. Turn the pieces everyday (using all 4 sides) until the pancetta has cured without becoming overly dry.
At this time, my preference is to seal it with a food sealer, which locks out all the air, allowing the pancetta to keep refrigerated a longer period of time.
Finally, you can use the pancetta however you choose, but do not eat it without properly cooking it first.* Here is a recipe for fresh pea soup using pancetta, and a pasta recipe which includes pancetta.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 ozAmount Per Serving:Calories: 95 Total Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 0g Protein: 6g
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Hi Christina,
Looks like a great recipe! I was just looking for a big chunk of pancetta to use with pineapple skewers but could not find it anywhere. Now I know I can make it at home! Any suggestion as to how much Kosher salt per, let’s say, 1 lb of pork belly? I know one can’t use too little because salt is the cooking method here. Would appreciate your guidance. Thanks!
Hi Olga, I honestly can’t give you a weight since we don’t ever weigh it, however, if you look at the photo of the pork with the salt, just make sure it looks like that. It’s like a light coating of snow. Don’t put less and don’t bury it in salt, but be sure to use Kosher salt. I hope this helps! Let me know how it turns out. CC
Thanks, Christina! I will let you know for sure. But first I must find pork belly that’s not been frozen. Something tells me it’s not going to be easy but maybe I’ll get lucky:)
Do you have a butcher nearby? That’s probably the easiest/safest place to find it. Good luck! :)
Olga, I mean no disrespect to this author and am grateful she is sharing a recipe (and writing this blog). But… I would want to have an explanation as to why a previously frozen pork belly is a problem before running around to find one that’s never been frozen. For many decades almost all commercially available pork, the “fresh pork” at the butcher’s, was frozen beforehand as a way to eliminate trichinosis. “Don’t use frozen pork” might be right up there with “Nitrite / Nitrate = Bad” — one of the more irksome myths in the food blogger world. Eat a beet or stalk of celery and you are putting away more (unconverted) nitrite than in a package of bacon. We live in South Asia. We make all of our ham, bacon, pancetta and pork sausages using imported Danish pork. I have never seen any difference in results when using this, versus a pork belly from a freshly-slaughtered hog.
Hi Ratna, thanks for your thoughts, however, I share recipes from Italy, not South Asia. There are many studies which show that processed, nitrate and nitrite filled meat items are significantly related to pancreatic cancer (just one example). Eating celery or beets has never been shown to cause cancer, as far as I know.
I will continue to recommend using fresh meat from a good quality butcher. Have a good day, Christina
So cool. I think this would be really fun to try. I love pancetta! Do I really have to wait up to 3 weeks!?!? Just kidding! I know that’s what makes it so good!
It’s so easy, Valentina! Give it a try! :)
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[…] Pork belly in a salt cure for pancetta. Image courtesy of Christina’s Cucina […]
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I am so unbelievably excited about this! Thank you, Christina!
Oh, you’ll be hooked, David! It’s so easy with spectacular results!
I would love to try this! It sounds fab! I can think of so many things it would be delicious on!
It is so easy and I use it in tons of dishes!!
Molto interessante! Thanks for your recipe! I Like pancetta!
Grazie, this recipe saves me! I always have some ready to use!! :)
So cool. Thanks for the easy guide. You make it look very doable. Will have to try.
It is, Patricia! Enjoy!
This is right up my alley. I will definitely make your pancetta using the left over pork belly from the porchetta. Thanks so much.
[…] prove to be quite difficult, so I’ve suggested using pancetta (or even bacon). I make my own pancetta, which is shown in the photo […]
Been looking for nitrate free pancetta which is virtually impossible to find. This solves the problem and I can’t wait to try. Thank you
Wonderful! So happy you’re going to try it, Rhonda…it’s super easy! Let me know how it turns out! CC
[…] of fresh clams, I use canned. Instead of salt pork, I use pancetta, and I’ve made more changes, so it really is a totally different recipe, but it makes a rich, […]
[…] unique, and has a great texture, and isn’t at all mushy, as fresh zucchini can get. You can make your own pancetta to use in this dish, or buy some instead (or skip it to make it vegetarian or vegan), but use good […]
[…] oil (like De Cecco) 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, smashed with the flat part of a knife blade 1 or 2 oz pancetta, cut into small pieces (omit for vegetarian) small bunch of Italian parsley, chopped 24 to 28 oz […]
Thank you so much for telling me about htis method! I have my pork belly slices hiding in the freezer but can’t wait to make this Pancetta so I can try some of your recipes, too! Will let you know when I link back.
Oh dear! You’ve made me realize that I forgot to put an important note on this recipe: you shouldn’t use frozen pork! I’m sorry, Susan! I’m going to change it now, but whenever making anything cured or salted, it should only be fresh meats that are used. :( I’m sure you can find another delicious way to use your pork belly, right?
Why can’t you use previously frozen Pork Belly to make Pancetta?
Hi David, it’s a safety risk due to the increase in possible bacteria from being frozen and thawed. Using fresh meat reduces these issues. Plus when you freeze meat and defrost it, the increased liquid isn’t what you want when making pancetta. This would apply to all cured meats. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/food-safety-risk-isnt-in-freezing-but-in-thawing-experts-say/article15261778/
Can you store it in your freezer after it is cured?
Hmmm…I wouldn’t, to tell you the truth. It might be fine, but I just seal it and keep it in the fridge. Do you have a “seal-a-meal” type sealer?
And one question, how long can I keep it in the Fridge after cured if it’s sealed?
Hi Rachel, it you use one of those sealing machines, then I’ve kept it for up to 6 months in the fridge. Make a big batch at once and seal it up! Tastes fabulous! ;) CC
Oh My! Pancetta! One of my favorite Pasta ingredients. <3 Fantastic Chris! x
I had no idea it was that easy. No more store bought pancetta for me!
Woo hoo! So glad you’re going to make it Cathy! :)