Guanciale Update: "Operation Sink Meat" Complete

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jul 21, 2009 5:40PM

"Is it true that you have a side of beef hanging in your closet?"

A month ago we were having some drinks with friends after a movie and told them about the guanciale experiment. Those friends told other friends who e-mailed other friends who had drinks with still other friends who contacted our downstairs neighbor who asked the question because she wouldn't put it past us to hang an actual side of beef over a pillar of salt to dry age in a closet. After explaining the whole process to a group of friends a couple weeks back, one of them dubbed it "sink meat," which seemed apropos since it was hanging for close to two months under the kitchen sink.

The key word here is "was." After much consternation we finally dived in and sliced some guanciale the other day. Isn't that pretty? And it's rich like Daddy Warbucks; this could work so well in a carbonara sauce in lieu of pancetta. The best part? No food poisoning.

That 2-pound hunk of "Roman bacon" (and does that sound even filthier than "sink meat," or what?) should last a while. Some is going to Seth Zurer of Baconfest Chicago as a bribe tithe. Mike Gebert of Sky Full of bacon has some dibs, as well. Anyone else?