Hi all,

I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.

Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.

My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.

Thanks.

Freddie

You've to buy a smoked bacon. Prosciutto ham isn't the right choice! :-)
Then, in Italy there are two line of ideas about Pasta alla Carbonara.

1) In North Italy, traditionally: Pasta: Long pasta (spaghetti), smoked
bacon fried in pan, eggs (1 to 1 eater), Parmigiano, pepper, salt

2) IN South Italy, Innovation: Pasta: short pasta (Penne, pennette) smoked
bacon "fried" in pan with white wine, eggs with milk cream, Parmigiano.

Ciao!
Samuele Zerbini

"Fred Fowler" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> Hi all,
>
> I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
> Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
> My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Freddie
>

Fred Fowler wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
> Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
> My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Freddie
>

i find uncut bacon at ralph's here in los angeles. in theory you can use
any type of bacon, but the original recipe, from rome and the lazio
region of central italy, would call for "guanciale" that is a bacon done
with the cheek of the pork. it has a carateristic triangular shape and
sometimes can be found at italian delis. i would stay away from smoked
bacon. it is good but it would not be an "italian" taste since we don't
use smoked stuff in italy with few exception.

ciao,

anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

Fred Fowler wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
> Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
> My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Freddie

Freddie...A GOOD Ham is far more friendly to you insides..LOL! B-01

--
"Beaten Paths are for Beaten People". -- Anon.

"Fred Fowler" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
> Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
> My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Freddie

Pancetta not bacon.

Dimitri

Pancetta is a large slice of pork fat back, cured in salt. Making it at
home, says Giuseppe Alessi, author of Etruschi il Mito a Tavola, is quite
easy:

Purchase a piece of pork fat back weighing about 4 - 41/2 pounds (1.8 - 2 k)
and lay it flat in a deep flat-bottomed container, rind side down. Dust it
lightly with finely ground (as opposed to coarse) salt. Grind a couple of
cloves of garlic to a fine paste in a mortar and spread them uniformly over
the meat. Cover it with cracked peppercorns and spices (just a touch of
cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg -- for this amount I'd go with a half teaspoon
or less). Next, cover it with a uniform, thick layer of salt, pressing down
so it sticks throughout.

Leave the meat lie for 20 days, then shake off the excess salt, make a hole
in one end with an awl, run a string through it, and hang it up in a cool
well-ventilated place for a month.

It's now ready; you can use it in thin (1/8 inch, 1/4 cm) slices in whatever
recipe calls for it.

A note: in southern Italy they also make a spicy variety of pancetta in
which ground red pepper figures prominently in the spice mixture rubbed into
the meat before the salt is added.

The bacon you had in your Carbonara in Tuscany, if smoked, was probably
pancetta affumicata (smoked pancetta). It is not very common but it does exist.
Regular pancetta is pork cured with spices such as nutmeg and black pepper.
Most carbonaras are made with regular pancetta or Guanciale as the previous
poster said. I would try to find pancetta for the Carbonara. I'm not sure if
you were mistaking the spiced cure of pancetta for the smoked flavor, or if
affumicata was used in your pasta. If you really want the smoky flavor then
yes, just get regular thick sliced American bacon.



>
>Hi all,
>
>I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
>dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
>specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
>was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
>thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
>Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
>will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
>My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Freddie
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

What temp gets too hot for making panchetta?

what is the best enviroment to 'Leave the meat lie for 20 days"?

Thanks I have always wondered how they made it
"Dimiri" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> "Fred Fowler" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> > dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> > specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> > was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> > thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
> >
> > Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> > will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
> >
> > My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Freddie
>
> Pancetta not bacon.
>
> Dimitri
>
> Pancetta is a large slice of pork fat back, cured in salt. Making it at
> home, says Giuseppe Alessi, author of Etruschi il Mito a Tavola, is quite
> easy:
>
> Purchase a piece of pork fat back weighing about 4 - 41/2 pounds (1.8 - 2
k)
> and lay it flat in a deep flat-bottomed container, rind side down. Dust it
> lightly with finely ground (as opposed to coarse) salt. Grind a couple of
> cloves of garlic to a fine paste in a mortar and spread them uniformly
over
> the meat. Cover it with cracked peppercorns and spices (just a touch of
> cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg -- for this amount I'd go with a half teaspoon
> or less). Next, cover it with a uniform, thick layer of salt, pressing
down
> so it sticks throughout.
>
> Leave the meat lie for 20 days, then shake off the excess salt, make a
hole
> in one end with an awl, run a string through it, and hang it up in a cool
> well-ventilated place for a month.
>
> It's now ready; you can use it in thin (1/8 inch, 1/4 cm) slices in
whatever
> recipe calls for it.
>
> A note: in southern Italy they also make a spicy variety of pancetta in
> which ground red pepper figures prominently in the spice mixture rubbed
into
> the meat before the salt is added.
>
>
>
>

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 21:16:02 GMT, anna maria
> wrote:

>Fred Fowler wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
>> dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
>> specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
>> was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
>> thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>>
>> Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
>> will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>>
>> My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Freddie
>>
>
>i find uncut bacon at ralph's here in los angeles. in theory you can use
>any type of bacon, but the original recipe, from rome and the lazio
>region of central italy, would call for "guanciale" that is a bacon done
>with the cheek of the pork. it has a carateristic triangular shape and
>sometimes can be found at italian delis. i would stay away from smoked
>bacon. it is good but it would not be an "italian" taste since we don't
>use smoked stuff in italy with few exception.
>
>ciao,
>
>anna maria
>
>
You can get guanciale in large cities in the US, at least in NYC. I
love it for starting pasta sauces, although I make no claim to Italian
authenticity.




Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a


Does one child rape really change Strom Thurmond's lifetime record?
For better or worse?

In article >, B-0b1 >
wrote:

> Fred Fowler wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> > dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> > specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> > was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> > thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
> >
> > Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> > will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
> >
> > My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Freddie
>
> Freddie...A GOOD Ham is far more friendly to you insides..LOL! B-01
>

What about using Canadian Bacon?

You can also look for a cheap box of "bacon ends and pieces for
seasoning". There are often uncut "chunks" in those boxes.

And they are handy for a lot of things if used right.

K.

--
>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby >,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 01:43:07 -0600, Katra wrote:

> In article >, B-0b1 >
> wrote:
>
>> Fred Fowler wrote:
>> Sorry, I may (and almost certainly am) wrong here (looking at the last
names of some of the previous posters)

but, should you not use tongue?
I was always of the impression that "good" carbonara used tongue, but you
could substitute ham (a good drycured ham) if not available, but it is a
poor second.

Cheers, Pete.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 15:38:03 -0500, Fred Fowler >
scribed:

Wow! Thanks for all the replies!

Looks like Pancetta is the thing I need. I am sure that there is a
meat market here in Boston's North End that will have that... ;-)

Silly me for trying to find it at Shaws or S&S... Even Bread & Circus
gave me a funny look when I tried to explain...

Thanks all!

Freddie

>Hi all,
>
>I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
>dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
>specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
>was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
>thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
>Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
>will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
>My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Freddie

"Tigger News" > wrote in message
...
> What temp gets too hot for making panchetta?
>
> what is the best enviroment to 'Leave the meat lie for 20 days"?

Although it used to 'air druied in the open here is a little "safer" recipe.

Enjoy.

Dimitri

Pancetta

An Italian bacon, made from the layer of fat and flesh located along the
belly of a pig, that is cured with salt, and often with other spices
including pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Regular pancetta is not smoked,
though there are varieties (called smoked pancettas, which are more or less
regular bacon), that are. It is slightly salty, and very flavorful.

The curing is done while the meat is still attached to the skin. It is
marinated and/or cured for about two weeks, then the meat is stripped from
the skin, and stuffed into sausage casings. It's then hung and aged for four
to six weeks, with a lot of attention paid to the air flow and humidity
during this time.

I found this recipe for making pancetta, for anyone willing to give it a
try...

Pancetta

1 pork belly-skin on, about 10 pounds
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons Prague powder #1 (NaNO2)
2 Tbs white pepper
2 Tbs mace
2 Tbs garlic, powdered
2 Tbs dextrose
5 juniper berries

Mix salt, sugar, juniper berries and cure--pulverize in spice grinder and
divided mixture in half.

Add pepper, mace and garlic to one of the divided mixtures.

Dust the meat side of the belly with the salt cure (without the spices).
Using latex gloves, rub the curing mixture vigorously into the meat.

Place the belly in a large plastic bag, secure the open end, and refrigerate
at 37 degrees F for 4 days.

After 4 days remove the belly from the bag and rub in the remaining curing
mixture (with the spices) and refrigerate for an additional 4 days at 37
degrees F.

Remove belly from bag, and soak in cool water for 20 minutes to remove
excess surface salts.

Attach a bacon hook to one end of the belly and air dry at 55 degrees F for
2 days.

Soak two 5-inch fibrous casing in water for about an hour and a half.

Remove the skin from the belly and square off the meat. Divide the belly in
two.

Roll each belly piece into a tight roll and place in the casing. Note: I
found that slicing the casing along its length allowed me to get a "tight
fit" when I roll up the pancetta. Tie the pancetta with sausage twine around
the circumference every 1/2 inch or so to make a neat firm log.

Hang for 10 days at 55 degrees F and 50% relative humidity. Refrigerate and
use any time after this date.

Thanks I will have to give it a go

It is quite exciting

"Dimiri" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Tigger News" > wrote in message
> ...
> > What temp gets too hot for making panchetta?
> >
> > what is the best enviroment to 'Leave the meat lie for 20 days"?
>
> Although it used to 'air druied in the open here is a little "safer"
recipe.
>
> Enjoy.
>
> Dimitri
>
> Pancetta
>
> An Italian bacon, made from the layer of fat and flesh located along the
> belly of a pig, that is cured with salt, and often with other spices
> including pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Regular pancetta is not smoked,
> though there are varieties (called smoked pancettas, which are more or
less
> regular bacon), that are. It is slightly salty, and very flavorful.
>
> The curing is done while the meat is still attached to the skin. It is
> marinated and/or cured for about two weeks, then the meat is stripped from
> the skin, and stuffed into sausage casings. It's then hung and aged for
four
> to six weeks, with a lot of attention paid to the air flow and humidity
> during this time.
>
> I found this recipe for making pancetta, for anyone willing to give it a
> try...
>
> Pancetta
>
> 1 pork belly-skin on, about 10 pounds
> 1/2 cup salt
> 2 teaspoons Prague powder #1 (NaNO2)
> 2 Tbs white pepper
> 2 Tbs mace
> 2 Tbs garlic, powdered
> 2 Tbs dextrose
> 5 juniper berries
>
> Mix salt, sugar, juniper berries and cure--pulverize in spice grinder and
> divided mixture in half.
>
> Add pepper, mace and garlic to one of the divided mixtures.
>
> Dust the meat side of the belly with the salt cure (without the spices).
> Using latex gloves, rub the curing mixture vigorously into the meat.
>
> Place the belly in a large plastic bag, secure the open end, and
refrigerate
> at 37 degrees F for 4 days.
>
> After 4 days remove the belly from the bag and rub in the remaining curing
> mixture (with the spices) and refrigerate for an additional 4 days at 37
> degrees F.
>
> Remove belly from bag, and soak in cool water for 20 minutes to remove
> excess surface salts.
>
> Attach a bacon hook to one end of the belly and air dry at 55 degrees F
for
> 2 days.
>
> Soak two 5-inch fibrous casing in water for about an hour and a half.
>
> Remove the skin from the belly and square off the meat. Divide the belly
in
> two.
>
> Roll each belly piece into a tight roll and place in the casing. Note: I
> found that slicing the casing along its length allowed me to get a "tight
> fit" when I roll up the pancetta. Tie the pancetta with sausage twine
around
> the circumference every 1/2 inch or so to make a neat firm log.
>
> Hang for 10 days at 55 degrees F and 50% relative humidity. Refrigerate
and
> use any time after this date.
>
>
>
>

Fred Fowler wrote:

> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 15:38:03 -0500, Fred Fowler >
> scribed:
>
> Wow! Thanks for all the replies!
>
> Looks like Pancetta is the thing I need. I am sure that there is a
> meat market here in Boston's North End that will have that... ;-)
>
> Silly me for trying to find it at Shaws or S&S... Even Bread & Circus
> gave me a funny look when I tried to explain...

I have actually bought pancetta at the Market Basket in Danvers (for
you folks outside New England, that's in Mass.)

>
>
> Thanks all!
>
> Freddie
>
> >Hi all,
> >
> >I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> >dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> >specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> >was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> >thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
> >
> >Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> >will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
> >
> >My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
> >
> >Thanks.
> >
> >Freddie

--
Tom Royer
Lead Engineer, Software Test
The MITRE Corporation
202 Burlington Road
Bedford, MA 01730
Voice: (781) 271-8399
Cell: (978) 290-2086
FAX: (781) 271-8500


"If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns

Tom Royer > wrote in :

>
> --
> Tom Royer
> Lead Engineer, Software Test
> The MITRE Corporation
> 202 Burlington Road
> Bedford, MA 01730
> Voice: (781) 271-8399
> Cell: (978) 290-2086
> FAX: (781) 271-8500
>
>
> "If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns
>
>

Err Tom...perhaps you shouldn't send this kinda stuff on usenet...you never
know how much spam it'll generate. Just a thought.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

hahabogus wrote:

> Tom Royer > wrote in :
>
> >
> > --
> > Tom Royer
> > Lead Engineer, Software Test
> > The MITRE Corporation
> > 202 Burlington Road
> > Bedford, MA 01730
> > Voice: (781) 271-8399
> > Cell: (978) 290-2086
> > FAX: (781) 271-8500
> >
> >
> > "If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns
> >
> >
>
> Err Tom...perhaps you shouldn't send this kinda stuff on usenet...you never
> know how much spam it'll generate. Just a thought.

Actually, the only response to that line I've ever had was from another
Gene Burns fan. When you think about it, it's not really controversial.

>
>
> --
> Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
> and water.
> --------
> FIELDS, W. C.

--
Tom Royer
Lead Engineer, Software Test
The MITRE Corporation
202 Burlington Road
Bedford, MA 01730
Voice: (781) 271-8399
Cell: (978) 290-2086
FAX: (781) 271-8500


"If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns

Tom Royer wrote:
>
> hahabogus wrote:

> > > Tom Royer
> > > Lead Engineer, Software Test
> > > The MITRE Corporation
> > > 202 Burlington Road
> > > Bedford, MA 01730
> > > Voice: (781) 271-8399
> > > Cell: (978) 290-2086
> > > FAX: (781) 271-8500
> > >
> > >
> > > "If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Err Tom...perhaps you shouldn't send this kinda stuff on usenet...you never
> > know how much spam it'll generate. Just a thought.
>
> Actually, the only response to that line I've ever had was from another
> Gene Burns fan. When you think about it, it's not really controversial.

I think he's referring to the personal information you have in your
sig.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:

> Tom Royer wrote:
> >
> > hahabogus wrote:
>
> > > > Tom Royer
> > > > Lead Engineer, Software Test
> > > > The MITRE Corporation
> > > > 202 Burlington Road
> > > > Bedford, MA 01730
> > > > Voice: (781) 271-8399
> > > > Cell: (978) 290-2086
> > > > FAX: (781) 271-8500
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Err Tom...perhaps you shouldn't send this kinda stuff on usenet...you never
> > > know how much spam it'll generate. Just a thought.
> >
> > Actually, the only response to that line I've ever had was from another
> > Gene Burns fan. When you think about it, it's not really controversial.
>
> I think he's referring to the personal information you have in your
> sig.
>
> nancy

Not a problem, either. The phone and FAX numbers are at work and I
have caller ID so I can screen them. The cell phone is turned off when
I get home.

But I do get quite a bit of "junk" e-mail; I usually spend 20 minutes or
so each morning just deleting stuff that I'm not interested in.


--
Tom Royer
Lead Engineer, Software Test
The MITRE Corporation
202 Burlington Road
Bedford, MA 01730
Voice: (781) 271-8399
Cell: (978) 290-2086
FAX: (781) 271-8500


"If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns

Hi Tom
On a related note, I was watching a BBC documentary last night and they
were interviewing a "spam detective" and "eliminator" who's business is to
protect systems from receiving spam, and he said that they have identified
200 spam gangs, worldwide, creating over 80 million messages per day. Just
though it was an interesting tid bit of information.
Cheers
Eric

> But I do get quite a bit of "junk" e-mail; I usually spend 20 minutes or
> so each morning just deleting stuff that I'm not interested in.
>
>
> --
> Tom Royer
> Lead Engineer, Software Test
> The MITRE Corporation
> 202 Burlington Road
> Bedford, MA 01730
> Voice: (781) 271-8399
> Cell: (978) 290-2086
> FAX: (781) 271-8500
>
>
> "If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns
>
>

Fred Fowler > wrote in message >. ..
> Hi all,
>
> I was thinking of making a Fettucini or Spaghetti Carbonara for a
> dinner, but of the many recipes I have seen, the type of bacon is not
> specified. I remember in Tuscany, having such a dish, and the bacon
> was thick and smoked, almost like a smoked proscuttio ham, sliced
> thick and in chunks... Was GREAT.
>
> Should I find slab bacon and use that, or use a smoked ham cut that
> will impart the same flavor of the Bacon.
>
> My trouble here is, it it hard to find uncut slab bacon in any stores.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Freddie

Well, if you think Mario Batalli knows what he's talking about, use
American style smoked cured bacon. He says he prefers it. Otherwise,
pancetta or that other thing people talked about.

Greg Zywicki