Pancetta (Italian Bacon) or Capicola

Pancetta is an Italian bacon which has not been smoked.   It is made from a pork belly.  Commonly, it is made as a roll but can be prepared as a slab if your pork belly is not large enough to roll or you prefer a slab.   Once cured, the pancetta will need to dry age which can be accomplished by using a Large Umai dry ageing bag.  For more detail instructions using the Umai bag, check out this.   This recipe can also be using to make Capicola which is made from the Coppa roast from the front shoulder of a pig. 

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork belly or Coppa pork roast
  
• Garlic powder or granulated, 3g
  
• Dark brown sugar 15g
• Black pepper, ground 4g
• Juniper berries, crushed 5g
• Bay leaves, crumbled 2g
• Nutmeg, fresh not pre-ground 1g
• Dried thyme, 3g
  
• InstaCure #2 (0.25% of meat weight) 2.5g NOTE!! you can skip using InstaCure but the finished product must be cooked and/or smoked before eating. 
  
• Kosher salt (~2.5% of meat weight) 28g 
• Red chile flakes 3g or more (optional) - not traditionally used.
  

Curing

1. Throw all spices (not the salts) into a food processor or grinder.   Blend the salts together. Add the salts to the spice mixture.
   
2. Spread mixture over the pork belly
3. Place belly in ziplock or vacuum bag.  Seal the bag.  If using vacuum bag don't seal tight, the pork belly should be able to move in the bag.
   
4. Place pork belly in refrig for 14 days.  Turn the bag over every other day.   
5. After 14 days, remove pork belly from bag and rinse with cold water.  Pat dry. The belly should be firm.  At this point, you could skip the dry ageing.  The belly could be smoked or served cooked.  

 Dry Ageing

1. If you are rolling the belly, then roll it along the long edge.  Tie the roll with butcher string.
2. Place pancetta in Umai dry bag, if you are using it, and vacuum the bag.   Weigh the pancetta and keep this number, you will want to have the pancetta reduce by about 35% weight (moisture).  
3. Place the pancetta in your dry ageing chamber or in the refrig if you are using a Umai dry bag. 
4. Dry age for 30 to 120 days until desired weight loss it hit. 
5. When weight loss it hit, remove from dry ageing chamber and remove the bag.  Using wine vinegar to remove any white mold that might have formed.  
6. Slice thin to eat.  Or store in a vacuum bag in the freezer.