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| Place of origin | Italy |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Pork jowl or cheeks |
| Ingredients generally used | Salt, sugar, spices |
Guanciale (Italian:[ɡwanˈtʃaːle]) is anItaliansalt-cured meat product prepared frompork jowl or cheeks.[1] Its name is derived fromguancia, meaning 'cheek'.[2] Its rendered fat gives flavour to and thickens the sauce of pasta dishes.[3]
Guanciale[4] is usually rubbed with just salt and ground black pepper by cooks inRome, but some producers use other spices, herbs,peperoncino[3] orred pepper,[5] and sometimes garlic. It is cured for three weeks or until it loses approximately 30% of its original weight. Its flavour is stronger than that of other pork products, such aspancetta, and its texture is more delicate. When cooked, the fat typically melts away.
Guanciale may be cut and eaten directly in small portions, but is often used as an ingredient inpasta dishes[4] such asspaghetti alla carbonara and sauces such assugo all'amatriciana.[6]
It is a specialty ofcentral Italy, particularlyUmbria andLazio.Pancetta, a cured Italian bacon that is normally not smoked, is sometimes used as a substitute when guanciale is not available.[7]
Media related toGuanciale at Wikimedia Commons
