Guanciale

METHOD:

For the Brine:
Combine the salt and water to make the brine.

For the Guanciale:
Place the pork jowl in the Brine for 20 to 30 minutes. In a spice grinder, blitz the salt, cure, and sugar until a fine powder forms. Remove the jowls from the Brine and rinse in cold water. Place the jowls in a plastic container and evenly distribute the cure mixture over all the pork. Add the pork jowls, peppercorn, garlic, sage, and rosemary to sous vide bags. Compress the bags and place on a sheet pan with another sheet pan on top.

Using three #10 cans to weigh the jowls and allow to cure for 8 days. Rinse the cure, dry, tie in cheesecloth, and hang at 55°F, 55 to 60 percent relative humidity, for two weeks or until they are dry.

To Assemble and Serve:
Use Guanciale for cooking or as a great addition to a charcuterie platter.