🏆 Make GUANCIALE At Home Cured Pork Cheek 'Bacon'

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Thanks for watching Everyone! Have you ever cured meat at home? Do you think you'll ever do it? *P.s. Have you seen our Tacos al Pastor video?* kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWm8goptqNSijpo

[@dougwilson6649]

love to make Bacon, hardest part is finding reasonably priced pork belly! The local butcher is REALLY proud of his cuts...

[@shawnmetzger4518]

Yes, every holiday season we make our own bacon and ham, would love to make your guanciale recipe though!

[@uattefac]

I used to help my grandpa when he killed the pig, he used to make prosciutto and salame, the belly/pancetta was eaten fresh on the bbq usually and the cheek was used to get lard (as well as other fatty parts) that my grandma used for bakes and cakes

[@KindofCooking]

BACON!! Definitely did bacon it was perfect since I could slice it nice and thick the way I like it.

[@0xNamaskar]

no. never.

[@WornDownSaint]

This guys calmness and mild mannered personality while cooking is therapeutic in a way... And then his lovely wife always pops into the scene about two thirds of the way to let him know he’s done a good job just takes the cake.

[@Psykel]

Chris Rolls And sometimes she literally takes the cake.

[@2timegarza583]

It truly is almost like watching mr.rodgers

[@WornDownSaint]

Psykel 😂🤣

[@MrYouarethecancer]

Very canadian. Love it.

[@MoZz..]

ive also fallen in love with his videos, watch them every day

[@HuggieBear39]

I use the smoked jowl in beans. Red beans, pinto beans, great northern beans and black eyed peas. Great great flavor to the beans. Sometimes we will cut some up and fry it as a snack or with fried green tomatoes.

[@trumpneedstodiealongwithidiots]

I wanna come to your BBQ

[@PatrickBrophy]

With all the contraptions you have, you don’t have a deli slicer?

[@RobotPorter]

Curing, like canning, is one of those areas of food preparation that I find intimidating. I know, humans have been doing it for thousands of years, and we're still here. But still ... Anyway, I love learning more about it. Maybe some day I'll feel up to the challenge.

[@TriadNCLiving]

Love the co host. She comes when everything is ready to eat! Compliments the videos very well. Thanks for making them.

[@TheCraftCookhouse]

Wow - refreshing to see someone over the pond NOT advocate the use of additional nitrates. Good video, nicely presented. Thank you

[@jamesellsworth9673]

You might purchase a decent deli slicer for uniformly thin (or uniformly any thickness) cuts. I LOVED my Berkel slicer as long as I had an excessive amount of countertop on which to store it.

[@madonisx]

Hello there! Thanks for the video... so you said "perfect temperature and moisture". Which makes me ask, what are those ? I do have a basement as well and want to know whether it fits the criteria! Thank you!

[@peteraldrich1444]

Glen’s dedication and work ethic is awesome 👏🏻 great job

[@dennqus1]

Years I watched my Italian buddies father make Prosciutto. Nothing fancy. He used the recycle box since it had holes in the bottom for the drain and was sturdy plastic, your basic Windsor salt in the black and yellow bag, yes the stuff he used in the winter time on his sidewalks and driveway, A big chunk of heavy plastic and some foundation bricks from the construction site. That was that. The old guys sure know how to make do and save a buck.

[@AisuRoma]

Thanks for doing this without sodium nitrate!

[@FappleFace]

Been addicted to your videos since the squozen cola debacle. Keep up the amazing work my dude

[@Goldboy1975]

My wife really loves carbonara so she inspired me to make some guanciale earlier this year as I can’t buy it here in Portugal. It’s amazing and I’m glad you made some as well. Looking forward to the carbonara recipe now. Maybe you could even do an amatriciana recipe as well. Cyber high 5.

[@JeffChenCoding]

Careful not to piss of Italians if you make carbonara incorrectly! (for example, with cream)

[@wutntarnation]

I just butchered a 550 pound sow and this is the first time I've kept the jowls on a pig. The ones I saved on the sow were over 5 inches thick. I used a mix of 5 parts brown sugar to one part of salt. The trick is to put the sugar/salt in a blender to powder it. It goes on and sticks much better. Put on a very generous amount on all sides and place in a bowl. Let it set for 3 days in a cool place, rinse it and smoke it. Slice thin and bake on parchment paper at 385 for 23 minutes to get it crispy. Best I've ever had. Not too smoky, salty or sweet.

[@joolinoschannel8566]

Good on you for rejecting the pink salt and explaining why

[@nklau9]

What temperature and humidity is ideal when curing meats?

[@GaryBoyd02]

I buy and use smoked jowls all the time. Prefer it to bacon as it's a lighter smoke and flavour. Makes great carbonara!

[@juliancamiloavendanogallo4060]

Great video, thanks for sharing. What is the best way to store the guanciale after the drying process? Just fridge or does it need to be frozen?

[@VadimDaskal]

These 29.5 grams and milligrams are such a show of alchemy! My grandparents where making unbelievable guancialle and hams using salts and herbs by heart.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

But your grandparents lived lives where they did this year after year with their parents and grandparents - learned through living. Most people today don't have that lived knowledge (do you?) and therefore need actual measurements... For example: I've been tapping maple trees my entire life, I can wake up one day this week (this actual week) and look at the trees and see that it's time to drill the taps, I know when the sap will flow, I know how long and far to boil without tools, I know when to stop. Could you? Probably not, you'd need instructions.

[@mountainmanwoodworks]

pink salt and tender quick both contain nitrates, you can use celery juice in place of either as it has a lot of nitrates. Hormel uses celery juice on their natural uncured meats, but they still are cured.

[@jasguy2715]

I've cured lots of different types of meats myself sometimes for my Cafe in the Philippines. When i made guanciale I hung it in the fridge for a month. I used basil thyme and added the black pepper along with salt and sugar in the beginning and a coating of pepper again before hanging it up. Wrapping in paper towels during the water extraction gets most of the water out before hanging. I like your fennel idea 😁being a favorite of mine also. I made prosciutto and pastrami also. Pastrami is not that hard to make, but The prosciutto was a pain in the butt! Great channel! P.S. a slight smoke flavor is great too!

[@Charky_Creations]

> added the black people oh no

[@jasguy2715]

@@Charky_Creations dam word prediction!

[@stefansellin7365]

Very good job. Few understand you need to trim glands off of a Jowl. Glands are for crows. Greetings from Sweden.

[@BBQandBottles]

Damn that looks good. I haven’t thought of making bacon out of the jawl before. That’s a thing of beauty.

[@nicolefeng5024]

I personally love guanciale a lot - but in Copenhagen it is quite expensive to get compared to what you can have on the market in Rome. Homemade guanciale is on my to-do list now!

[@Draylenn]

Why is no one talking about how slick and effortlessly Glen tied the twine?

[@ericpoirier3705]

I have seen other Guanciale recipes where, in the initial curing step, the meat is stored in a oxygen free container (for example, a Ziplock bag). You store it in an open container, where air is in contact with the meat. Is there some reason one would use (or not use) an air free container? It seems to me using an air free container is just dangerous. Great video by the way, lots of useful information!

[@ricotoledo1492]

I almost stopped watching the video when I saw the Prague powder on the counter. I was looking for Prague powder-free curing techniques. Thanks for this!

[@dwj77]

So you were triggered by Prague powder?

What is the correct temperatures and humidity for hanging the jowl? You mention you have a room that has the perfect conditions but I'm unsure what they are? Thanks great video!

[@nimar1991]

Hi Glen. You should try pasta amatriciana with that guanciale... Cook it slowly in a pan until almost all the fat has melted and then add tomato sauce to the guanciale (you can get rid of some fat if you want to eat healtier). Cook it on medium heat for approx 10-15minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and add pecorino cheese (mix it well in the pan) just before serving. Pecorino is a typical aged cheese here in Italy, it is similar to Parmesan cheese, altought it is made with sheep's milk insted of cow's... Greetings from Italy

[@chandlermalichanh5126]

I like the recipe and method thing at the end. I've been wondering where the I can get the equalibrum dry cure calculator or numbers based on meat weight?

[@WhiteRaven___]

Glen-We are making pasta carbonara soon *binging with babish has entered the chat*

[@Taabituubi]

*Antonio Carluccio prepares to spin in his grave*

[@calsas]

Great video, Glen! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe/technique. I can't wait for the carbonara video. Don't call it the "real carbonara" though, angry Italians may be watching. hahaha

[@qadrik]

I have a question: Where did you get that apron? Because I cannot find it anywhere. Thanks!

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

The apron is from maisonmilan.com/ in Montreal

[@james9078]

You got me to try to make my own cured bacon from your bacon video. i love all the content but would be excited to see you cure or age all kinds of foods. Keep up the good work!

[@KindofCooking]

Did a really similar recipe for bacon! Going to need to try pork jowl ... my favourite cut of pork. It took forever for mine to lose the weight though.

[@christian_salonia]

Temperature and humidity adviced during driyng process?

[@Pammellam]

I bet you could use the skin to cook beans! Cook long and slow and the skin might get really tender!

[@kevmalone]

Yes indeed P T! We use our skins for baked beans - outstanding flavor but unfortunately we find the remaining skin quite flavorless (Baked beans take us 6-8 hours). Also good in cassoulet.

[@andrewingram2108]

When we had the restaurant, we had face bacon bahn mi on the menu. We also put it in gumbo at home.

[@nicolafrancotesorero2730]

What is the temperature for your basement and the humidity thanks

[@leonwong95]

So just a question, after 4 days in the fridge. The Guanciale is actually ready? The hanging purpose is to keep letting it dry to 30% for it to be edible RAW and give more flavor right?

[@jessicalawrence3074]

Would it work to use pork belly instead of pork jowl, as long as all the proportions and procedures are followed? You have not made a Pancetta video yet :)

[@Lord_Ivoundy_Creood]

What is right humidity and tempbfor guanciale

[@Joeandally]

sir! I'm from Vietnam and the reason why i subscribe to your channel is that i have an exact red electronic scale just like you sir! i bought it in 2016.

[@Macca81]

Can you tell me more about that mortar and pestle?!

[@cortneygraham3382]

I have pork jowls that I've been freezing, I took them out today to cure them and realized there is no skin on them. I already decided I wouldn't do the longer aging process, but will this be an issue?

[@stephan1465]

I just used Guanciale today for Bucatoni all'Amatriciana. :)

[@hinoarts]

Oh. My. God. You're going to make a video about making Carbonara. I am sure you know what you're getting into, I am sure you are well aware of the Italian Culinary Police HAHA. Good luck with that! By the way Guanciale is also used in another very popular traditional Italian pasta recipe, Amatriciana! It would be great to see you cooking that one too!

[@jerryocrow1]

I went bonkers when I saw your motor/pestle (which had radia which were almost identical). I never say one like this and WOW WOW . (Yes, I liked the rest of the video).

[@__seeker__]

GREAT video. Thank you. Just a friendly note: guanciale is only three syllables. Sort of like gwan-CHAH-le.

[@broncc]

What's that mortar & pestle you're using? Looks great for crushing/grinding spices.

[@Phil58Liew]

Ok Glen, this is 2 years since the video was posted. I have a question, I live in Malaysia that is hot and humid meaning no basement etc that can do a "hang to dry out" meat. However, I did follow Eric from 2 guys and a cooler to use dry age bags to dry out in a normal fridge. Do you in your opinion think this way is doable with the bag instead of hanging? The only alternative that I can think of right now. I made a capocollo same way and it worked. Thanks

[@Rawcoticz]

Hey Glen, love the show. Thank you for another great inspirational episode. Guess theres no turning back now, just gotto DIY.

[@Xelbiuj]

Great vid. You could also use those umai bags, expensive option though. Can't wait for the next one. Cured ____ is always awesome.

[@thalesvondasos]

cured cancer

[@annamiecolina1701]

Hello, a quick question. Where did you buy your mortal and pestle? I would love to own one exactly like that...

[@jaysonrush2739]

Have you ever tried using the umai dry bags for dry-aging and curing

[@slumber932]

Julie didnt seem too thrilled with it haha

[@DaveTugwell]

how did you get that

[@thekiddocook1554]

I dont get pork jowel near me or anywhere online in my country. Which part should i use.

[@desertrat9515]

Link to sensor push please. Great video

[@710LENNY]

A new T & T Supermarket opened up here this week so we checked it out. OMG, they had pork cheeks. So I came home to check out recipes. I don't think the jowls had the skin on, and I will have to let it cure in the fridge (I do slab pancetta in the fridge), but I think I am going to take a stab at this. And if I have to cook it, well, hubby loves pasta.

[@carlkim2577]

My problem is getting the pork jowl. The rest is easy. Where did you find a source?

praque powder is used to conserve the color of the meat

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

That and to kill bad microbes / help with preservation. It has many uses and there are different kinds Prague#1 & Prague#2. But with whole muscle, air dried cured meat it isn’t really needed.

[@user-dx8nj7qj2g]

what percentage of curing salt would you use, if you were going to use it?

[@Kinkajou1015]

It's in the description and the end of the video. 0.25%.

[@user-dx8nj7qj2g]

@@Kinkajou1015 oh my bad I didnt see that

[@trevor921]

Rule of thumb is 1tsb per 5lbs of meat

[@camomille2387]

I need help, I've been waiting for the meat to firm up for 2 weeks now. I just don't know where I went wrong but I feel like it might be the salt. I used rock salt that my mother bought from the wet market, could that be the problem?

[@mariobernardo3976]

Where do you buy the jowl from?

[@Divelucaya]

You go through all that discussion about the Prague powder, stating it can be used if viewers prefer, and then leave them wondering how much you would add to your mix (or at least % by weight). Thanks.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

@Divelucaya - It's in the recipe. Written out both under the video in the description box, and at the end of the video on screen 11:31

[@walrus1300]

After the first cure in the fridge I tend to not wash it with water, I use red or white wine.

[@NostalgiaBrit]

Relationship goals ❤️

[@SundayLiving-fk9sj]

I cant wait to try this

[@skribeworks]

Thanks for this. One of the great things about living in Singapore is that I have 3 pork butchers within 200m from my home. Unfortunately, the tropics isn't the place to hang meat you want to survive eating. BTW can you replace the sugar with something like stevia? Keto and all.

[@alexlail7481]

I don't think stevia will work.... Sugar (sucrose), Salt, and Black Pepper are powerful preservatives when used properly. And as simple as dry curing meat is process wise there is a ridiculous amount of chemistry (almost alchemy?) going on inside the meat. That said the 'Prague powder/curing salt' could help in an tropical climate. Also in the Southern U.S. the traditional 'Country Ham' and 'Side Meat' are very similar dry cured process used in very warm humid climate and may be adaptable to your climate. Good luck

[@keithcrain]

Loving the cured meats episodes.

[@Phasmidable]

Do you put it in the fridge on a rack or without one? I was looking at the video and saw it go in without one, and come out with one:) Especially interested because of the potential anaerobic situation without a rack.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

With a rack - but really with the cheek uncovered and turned everyday the "potential anaerobic situation" as you put it is zero.

[@Phasmidable]

@@GlenAndFriendsCooking Thanks for the quick reply! I don't have a non conductive rack, so I'll just turn it every day, put it in a glass container, and don't worry about using curing salt

[@AP-be8ee]

Fantastic

[@gizmo7877]

You don’t say if you wrap it when curing or what the air temperature or moisture level should be. I’m getting four cheeks soon and need to have the exact information on the process.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Clearly shown in the video - UNWRAPPED Temp and humidity clearly stated in the written instructions in the description box.

[@albertoacosta7319]

I'm in a particular situation, where I am in a country where it is against the law to commercially sell salt that is not iodized (in Paraguay). So my question is whether the use of non iodized salt is clritical, is it a preference, or does it change the texture?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Iodised salt can change the flavour, it can cause a metalic flavour.

[@cbro_]

Will something like this work well with pork belly?

[@LukeEsther]

Glen at what point is it safe to touch without needing to wash your hands?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

You should always be washing your hands before and after handling food in the kitchen.

[@paulman3943]

Why should I not use salt with iodine?

[@pankinyek]

Is it guanciale though? Most important spice with guaciale is black pepper(of which you hardly used any) garlic (which you didn't use at all) and most often juniper berries (non added by you) ... ?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Yes it's guanciale. In every traditional recipe I've looked at garlic is optional, and none of them (not even one) contained Juniper. Most 'ultra traditional' recipes (from my collection of cookbooks dating back to the 1600s) and certainly every true Italian recipe published before 1900 the only ingredients are: Sugar, Salt, and Pepper.

[@ddaverr]

Have you ever done a video on canoeing Bacon (uncooked but edible)?

[@miketinling5603]

It is my understanding that "Guanciale" is made from Wild Boar & not from pigs. Please advise.

[@iqinsanity]

What parts can’t you cure and eat “raw”?

[@PlutoniumJesus]

Why do you recommend against iodized salt? I don't see how trace amounts of potassium iodate could affect the curing process in any way. Iodized salt is commonly recommended against for fermentation due to the antimicrobial properties of iodine, which makes some sense although I think it is unlikely to be a problem in practice due to the super tiny amounts of iodine added.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Iodized salt leaves a 'tin' flavour in the cured meat.

[@PlutoniumJesus]

That is weird that it would affect the flavour, do you have any idea why that might be the case? Some sort of interaction with protein in the meat perhaps? I also wasn't aware that tin had a flavour.

[@bd80247]

@@GlenAndFriendsCookingIn most applications of cooking, there is no measurable difference between iodized or non iodized salt. However, in curing there will definitely be a metallic, maybe "tin" like flavor.

[@seanhavern9864]

What do you do with water that is released while the pork is in the fridge? Do you throw it out?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Yes - throw it out.

[@seanhavern9864]

Glen & Friends Cooking thanks for the reply! Love your channel

[@whitepouch0904]

What's the brand of the humidity detector device?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

SensorPush

[@whitepouch0904]

@@GlenAndFriendsCooking thank you!

[@Kinkajou1015]

Not my cup of tea but super interesting. Also the only time I've had Carbonara I didn't like it. Not sure what made me not enjoy it. I did eat it though.

[@coltsfan50]

Did you use Diamond Crystal or Morton’s Kosher?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Neither - I don't live in the USA. But since this is done by weight; any koshering salt will work.

[@HuggieBear39]

Kind of like when I dry rub my ribs for a day or two before I bbq them.

[@zacharybrown7354]

Why is it a bad idea to use iodised salt?

[@mcochrane87]

Could you force the water loss with further refrigerator time?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Yes definitely.

[@trevor921]

Drying it to quickly runs the risk of case hardening the meat and ruining it as the moisture from the center is trapped inside by the dry hardened outside before it's at safe levels

[@robbie4128]

Glen it's opening day! Where's the jersey!!

[@giand5719]

This guy inspired me to cure meats

[@craigc6626]

With all of the stuff you have you don't have a meat slicer?

[@yanj111]

hi, Glen, I have a question though, with my experience of hanging meat out for a long time, the skin of the meat will become stone hard, so, I suppose you will get rid of the skin or something later?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Yes the skin is almost rock hard after a couple weeks. You should leave it on to 'protect' the meat from drying out too quickly, but I always cut it off before cooking.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

The skin contains a lot of collagen, so using it in a braise is better than simply throwing it out.

[@Jsummer4004]

"Dry oot too quickly" lol

[@hantms]

That's a lot less meat on there than I've seen from other videos, where the jowl is a much thicker cut with a good bit of meat on there as well. The one in the video really closely resembles what I see at my local supermarket for pork jowl, which is why I so far resisted trying this. ;)

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Depends on the pig breed -

[@ericsmith1244]

Just out of curiosity why shouldn't you use iodized salt?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

The iodine can give the finished cured meat a metallic taste - some people find it off-putting. So why risk it?

[@ericsmith1244]

@@GlenAndFriendsCooking ok. I'll remember that. I'm just starting to get into curing my own meats. Thanks for the info

[@conorc725]

You could invest in a meat slicer? Get it super thin.

[@ScoriacTears]

I would like to know how you prepare a towel like that to safely dry meat, I really do! I worry someone will use just any old clean towel strait out of a normal wash and injure the people they intend to feed, look up reactions to softeners on Google images.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

It's a kitchen towel... It never gets washed with any detergent that has scent, or any fabric softener. Just like the tea towels you would use to dry your dishes, or the dish cloth that you use to wash your dishes. I worry that you are overthinking it.

[@ScoriacTears]

@@GlenAndFriendsCooking Wouldn't be the first time lol, still! I got it off my chest and feel better for it, glad I didn't delete it a third time.

[@XMarkxyz]

After a Carbonara I suggest you to make a lesser known but as tasteful Amatriciana