Charcuterie Questions that Vex the Internet: What is Guanciale?

Charcuterie Questions that Vex the Internet: What is Guanciale?

It was as a young man in Umbria, during the Second World War, that I first encountered guanciale. Little did I know, at that time, what an impact it would have on my life, and how that impact would turn into the perfect 300 word preamble for the start of a food blog. 

Not really, you know we don’t go in for that kind of claptrap on this blog. You have come here seeking a simple answer to a simple question, and here it comes now…

What’s guanciale? It’s the bacon of the face. Cheeky bacon. Jowl bacon. Cured pig’s cheek.

Excuse me, face bacon?

Yes indeed. Pork jowl has a great combination of meat from the cheek and copious fat, which when cured becomes silky. Apart from being ridiculously rich and tasty, it’s a great way to use every part of the animal, which is what charcuterie is all about. 

Where is guanciale from?

Traditionally, guanciale is from Italy. Though food cultures everywhere use pig’s cheek.

What is guanciale used for?

It’s most famous as the cornerstone of authentic carbonara. All of that delicious, melted cured fat makes an amazing base for the carbonara sauce. It also pops up in dishes like amatriciana. You could make tiny bacon sandwiches from it, but it tends not to produce long rashers, and is easier to chop into chunks.

What is guanciale like?

A sort of supercharged bacon. It’s streakier than streaky, because jowls contain a relatively large proportion of fat, and the meat will be stronger tasting and more savoury. It provides a stronger and more bacony flavour to the dishes cooked with it.

Is guanciale like a Bath chap?

Well they’re both made from pork cheek and they’re both cured, but not really, no. A Bath chap is more like a pressed ham, which is cured and cooked, while guanciale is dry cured and air-dried.

Is guanciale like pancetta?

Yes, it is. Both are dry cured and air-dried bacons, and both are streaky. Pancetta is meatier, and a little milder.

How do I make guanciale?

A super simple recipe:

1. Weigh a skin-on pork cheek
2. Calculate 3% of the weight of the cheek and measure out that much salt
3. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar, a teaspoon of thyme and half a teaspoon of black pepper
4. Mix those ingredients in a dish and then massage into the pig cheek, taking time to fill any gaps and flaps. Massage it all in for a couple of minutes.
5. Place the pig cheek into a ziplock bag with the air squeezed out, or better still, a vacuum bag.
6. Leave it to cure in the fridge for a week.
7. After a week, remove from the bag, brush off the cure, wrap in muslin or a tea towel and hang in the fridge door to dry out for 10 days.
8. Unwrap and use as bacon. Go on, make the carbonara.

Where can I buy guanciale?

Since you ask, you can buy it here.