Panchetta

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vuzz

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2022
7
1
So I was in my local grocery store when I noticed they had Panchetta, now the only thing I have smoked in my life in a Pork Belly and that was just recently, believe it or not the thing came out more then palatable. So while in my store I bought a chunk of Panchetta and a rope of sausage, I figured smoking both of them would give me much needed exp, now all I got to do is figure out how? Do I salt the Panchetta or put brown sugar on it, or other spices, I'm using cherry wood so how long do I smoke it for, at what temp?
 
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First, welcome to the forum. Sorry for missing this post when it first came across last week!

So I haven't messed with Pancetta that much but sounds like you have a chunk that's already been rolled and cured.. possibly already smoked?

You pancetta-knowledgeable folk here correct me if I'm wrong here but I would just cut off a small piece and fry it up to test the salt/seasoning level.

That way you'll know what you're dealing with.

At that point, you could smoke it and glaze it with some honey and/or maple syrup and a little low-salt rub mixed in.

Just throwing out ideas but my knowledge level on pancetta is pretty thin.
 
I've never bought Pancetta. The only stuff I've had were a couple I dry cured myself and there wasn't any smoke involved.
It's pretty dense and I don't know how well smoke would penetrate. Maybe if you smoked before aging/drying?
 
Thank you for the welcome, I think the chunk I bought is un-cured, I have a few pan fried recipes but should I go looking for ways to cure it or would salt ruin the flavor? I could always cut the hunk in half and smoke it that way, I would hope the smoke would permeate that meat?
 
Too many "un-knowns" here.
Pancetta is basically Italian bacon. Fry it and hone your smoking skills on something like ribs.....
Don't do ribs, is not Pancetta smokeable? I have smoked pork belly and it came out fine, I was going to smoke the Pancetta in a IBERICO fat sauce but now I'm just not sure.
 
Don't do ribs, is not Pancetta smokeable? I have smoked pork belly and it came out fine, I was going to smoke the Pancetta in a IBERICO fat sauce but now I'm just not sure.
Of course you can smoke it. I believe the confusion is that you haven't provided any details on how the pancetta was processed. You asked if you should salt it. We cant answer that without more details. Pancetta is generally salt cured. So that makes a difference in the advice given. Post up a picture of the pancetta including the label and we can help you better
 
Of course you can smoke it. I believe the confusion is that you haven't provided any details on how the pancetta was processed. You asked if you should salt it. We cant answer that without more details. Pancetta is generally salt cured. So that makes a difference in the advice given. Post up a picture of the pancetta including the label and we can help you better
Ah, good advice, but to be honest with you I've smoked only two things in my short time as a smoker, one was a pork belly which came out great and the other was a Rope Italian Sausage which also came out great, I bought the Pancetta oat my local grocery store ( Giant ) that carries fancy meats, dry aged steaks, Pancetta, Prosciutto and all that fun stuff and that is where I got there Pancetta ...... I doubt a person can smoke a dry aged steak for 2 to three hours without drying it out? Can Prosciutto be smoked or be bought raw and un-cured? How about Chorizo? You have to understand I only have a stand up stack em up kind of smoker but I asked Mrs Santa to bring me a NOT TO EXPENSIVE/WELL MADE/DEPENDABLE/FAIRLY EASY TO USE/EASY TO CLEAN/ smoker for Xmas, know any like that?

Thank you for no, a little or allot of info you can give, I have been in a depression for years and just recently I have found myself getting excited about smoking meats, I hope it lasts.
 
If you purchased a product called pancetta it's likely already been cured, seasoned and aged. Otherwise it would have just been called pork belly
 
If you purchased a product called pancetta it's likely already been cured, seasoned and aged. Otherwise it would have just been called pork belly
Oh, okay, thats good to know, thank you.
 
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