ISO - Pork Belly Recipe

[Guest]

OMG, I have never seen pork belly in any stores that I have been in here. I surely would like to try it though as it sounds scrumptious.

[Harborwitch]

We just drove over 70 miles round trip - but we found a place that sells pork bellies, pork trim (fat), and (drum roll please) pork jowls!!! We ordered the jowls (8 lbs) to pick up on the way to or from my oncology appointment in 2 weeks. Today we came home with 8 lbs of belly - some for bacon cure, and a small chunk for braising.

I'm in heaven!

[cjs]

Have fun Sharon, and be sure to pass along anything new, I have about 6 pcs. left to play with. But, I have the word from on high, to make sure I always have enough on hand for bacon....

[Gourmet_Mom]

Sharon, I want to know what you're going to do with pork jowls. Those are available all the time at the local grocery.

[Harborwitch]

Guanciale, which is an Italian cured pork jowl is my prime focus, and perhaps smoking one. Now that I have a good source for porky stuff Bob and I are going to have a ball.

It has been horrid around here without homemade bacon - we did buy some today that was interesting "round bacon". They chopped up a bunch of bacon and crammed it into a casing. Perfect for burgers and sammies. We'll give it a try tomorrow.

[Old Bay]

We have trouble finding "fat back", real salt pork. Since pork producers have begun to raise leaner pigs it's really hard to find.

[Gourmet_Mom]

So where do I find this Italian recipe? Do you do the smoked jowls just like bacon and use it the same way? This is exciting, as I can get this stuff ALL the time. Now to get that smoke house finished. WILLIAM!!!!!

If this is a first, don't worry about posting until you try it out. I'm looking at about another month for the smoke house to get finished. I AM planning on buying the Chaucatuier (How do you spell that word!?!?!) book Jean recommended, so if it's in that, don't worry about it.

[Harborwitch]

The recipe I'm using is in Charcuterie, if you don't have that book you need to add it to your library - great book.

The smoked jowls are done like bacon.

Oh Bill, I so love salt pork. But you're right, it is getting harder to find. I don't need the extra salt, but oh the flavor!!!!!

[Gourmet_Mom]

Got it...Cool! I'll be ordering the book and my curing ingredients in the next week or so.

We can get salt pork all the time, also. It's sold at the local grocer in large slabs. The jowls come in boxes of about 8 to 10 pounds and wrapped in plastic.

[cjs]

I haven't looked for pork jowls up here - another mission.