GUANCIALE

Giorgio Celmo While most pork bacon products are taken from the belly of a pig, Guanciale is made by drying the meat from a hog's jowls. Though the resulting meat is leaner than traditional pork pieces, it has a noticeably richer flavor. It is this richness, combined with a delicate porkiness, that more than merits the meat's three-week drying period. Making guanciale may require a little more planning than simply buying good-quality bacon or pancetta, but its abundance of flavor distinguishes guanciale from the rest, making every dish that much more succulent. At Giorgio’s, we use our homemade guanciale all over the place, but nowhere is its fullness of flavor and porky richness more celebrated than in our bucatini all'amatriciana. Ingredients ½ cup sugar ½ cup kosher salt 10 to 15 whole black peppercorns 4 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves 2 pounds hog jowls   Directions 1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, salt, peppercorns and thyme. Coat the hog jowls with the mixture, rubbing gently. Place the jowls in a nonreactive casserole, cover, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days. 2. Remove the jowls from the casserole and tie a piece of butcher's twine around the middle of each. Hang the jowls in a dry cool place (it should not be warmer than 60ºF.) for a t least 3 weeks. They should be firm and dry, with a slight give. Slice and use like bacon or pancetta.