i just got ‘reprimanded’ for using pork belly instead of pork cheeks like what the fuck
Yeah just add tiny bit of sugar and more fat. If you aren’t in Italy that’s a very ridiculous thing to be anal about. Guanciale can be hard to find.
well guanciale isn’t hard to find, it’s just 5-6 times the price of belly. parmesan is already expensive and pecorino is twice the price. :no-mouth-must-scream:
As an Italian (I know I’m sorry) I almost always use bacon, sometimes pancetta if it’s at the store, for this exact reason. Guanciale is waaay too expensive and makes carbonara from an easy cheap dinner into needless expense.
Besides, unless you’re in some parts of Lazio, or have the good fortune of having a good salumeria closeby, most of the guanciale (and pecorino for that matter) is going to be bland industrial bs.
Might as well make tasty food with good, local stuff (when possible). Anything else is class performance (not ok) or diaspora nostalgia (very valid).
Yeah, it depends on where you live. Here in Houston, the 4th largest city in the US, there is only 1 store I know of where you can get guanciale. Pancetta I can get at most grocery stores, but for guanciale I would have to go to this one high end grocer.
EDIT: Oh, one liquor store would also probably have guanciale.
