Comments on: Ruhlman Pancetta Challenge http://livingsmallblog.com/2007/10/01/ruhlman-pancetta-challenge/ Life, Literature, and the Subversive Power of Living Small Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:49:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: cmf http://livingsmallblog.com/2007/10/01/ruhlman-pancetta-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-3702 cmf Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:04:09 +0000 http://livingsmallblog.com/2007/10/01/ruhlman-pancetta-challenge/#comment-3702 I saw the Neiman Ranch site after I'd already ordered a pork belly from my local butcher -- I like Matt so much, and he makes such great bacon that I was sort of hoping he had a local source -- but no, it was an Armour slab (no love lost for them -- went to grammar school with both Armours and Swifts). I think there are a few other local pork sources around here -- my friends Scott and Jennifer bought a pig from someone over near Manhattan -- and my Milk Lady raises some pigs too -- I think next year I can get on her pig list. But for now, it's a slab of commercial pig -- and hanging is the next challenge. I was looking at the River Cottage Meat book and it says that you can hang it unrolled if you want, or really, you don't necessarily have to hang it at all. I think my canning closet in the basement should be about right -- I'm going to give it a try. I saw the Neiman Ranch site after I’d already ordered a pork belly from my local butcher — I like Matt so much, and he makes such great bacon that I was sort of hoping he had a local source — but no, it was an Armour slab (no love lost for them — went to grammar school with both Armours and Swifts). I think there are a few other local pork sources around here — my friends Scott and Jennifer bought a pig from someone over near Manhattan — and my Milk Lady raises some pigs too — I think next year I can get on her pig list. But for now, it’s a slab of commercial pig — and hanging is the next challenge. I was looking at the River Cottage Meat book and it says that you can hang it unrolled if you want, or really, you don’t necessarily have to hang it at all. I think my canning closet in the basement should be about right — I’m going to give it a try.

]]> By: Bonnie http://livingsmallblog.com/2007/10/01/ruhlman-pancetta-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-3701 Bonnie Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:28:43 +0000 http://livingsmallblog.com/2007/10/01/ruhlman-pancetta-challenge/#comment-3701 This is exciting! I've cured pork belly for bacon using Ruhlman's recipe from Charcuterie, both with and without nitrates — have to say, liked the nitrate version better, plus it had that pretty red bacon color. I wanted to do pancetta too but don't have a decent place to hang it. Someone told me I could hang it in my spare fridge if I raised the temperature and just remembered to open the door every day for ventilation. Now that's energy efficient. By the way, if you ever get desperate for belly again out of season, you can order it from the Niman Ranch website. Pricy, but better than supporting Smithfield or its ilk. This is exciting! I’ve cured pork belly for bacon using Ruhlman’s recipe from Charcuterie, both with and without nitrates — have to say, liked the nitrate version better, plus it had that pretty red bacon color. I wanted to do pancetta too but don’t have a decent place to hang it. Someone told me I could hang it in my spare fridge if I raised the temperature and just remembered to open the door every day for ventilation. Now that’s energy efficient.

By the way, if you ever get desperate for belly again out of season, you can order it from the Niman Ranch website. Pricy, but better than supporting Smithfield or its ilk.

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