Just finished my first DIY panchetta!

[flamin lib]

Takes a month or so to cure but it's really good! Flavor is a cross between sausage and bacon, pork fat at it's best.

I tried a one lb experiment which lasted 3 days and now have five more lbs in the garage fridge. PL&T sandwich? Nothin' but the best!

I buy my pork belly at my local Vietnamese grocery for $1.25/lb with the rind on, cure it with a mix of spices from this site:http://www.chow.com/recipes/10699-chow-pancetta and hang it for three weeks.

[yellerpup]

1. Impressive!

I wanta bite! :9

[Denninmi]

2. That is really interesting.

I bookmarked this -- I would like to try it. I'll have to look for raw pork belly around here. I don't recall seeing it in the stores very often, but I'm sure someone would have it.

Thanks for posting this.

[flamin lib]

3. Look for ethnic Asian grocery stores. I do a lot of shopping

at both far east and middle east ethnic grocery stores. The Vietnamese store I frequent brings half hogs in the back door and butcher them on site. Some of the cuts aren't the familiar ones in the megamart but they run 20-30% less and they de-bone everything. Fresh seafood is as good as you can find anywhere if you get there first thing in the morning (not so much at 3:00 in the PM).

I buy all my spices at the middle eastern store. 8 oz Cumin is $2.35--enough to last a year!

[Lucinda]

4. Very cool!

Makes me want to try making it too!