Cured by Jordan Mackay
Italy's two most important animals, the anchovy and the pig, are opposites in every way except for one. When the elemental factors of salt and time are added, they become heroes of flavor and anchors of the Italian pantry.
All the other animals have their places in Italy’s edible universe. Ruminants are more important for their milk than meat. Birds play a niche role but for the eternal egg. And we never run out of love for sea creatures like vongole and scampi. But no other proteins exhibit the prolific versatility of anchovy and pork.
The process of salting and curing these two items acts in the same way described in our entry on olives and capers: dehydrate them slightly and preserve them. However, in the case of protein, time is the other actor. Over a year or more, naturally present enzymes break down the proteins, creating a softer-textured food as well as flavorful amino acids and peptides, including glutamic acid (otherwise known as umami, that fifth taste of savory deliciousness we’re hardwired to sense). Aging in proper conditions allows ingredients to cure for years, resulting in umami detonations that can take a dish from tasty to irresistible.
Anchovies
After anchovies are harvested in the Mediterranean - say, around the famous Amalfi coast fishing village of Cetara - they are painstakingly filleted by hand, layered in sea salt, and weighted down in a wooden barrel for up to a year. When taken out and rinsed, these are not the super-salty, fishy things you find in a cheap tin - they are morsels of incredible, nutty complexity, often in Amalfi served straight on a plate with just a drizzle of olive oil. (Of course, the more fishy tinned anchovies are also good for adding depth and complexity, as they melt into sauces or stews or add salty pungency to a pizza.) Another anchovy alternative for your pantry exists in liquid form as colatura, the viscous, salty syrup drained from the barrels as the anchovies age. A few drops tossed with steaming al dente spaghetti, good extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and some breadcrumbs for texture is pantry perfection.
Pork
The transformations that salt and time perform on the noble pig take more time, resulting in more options. Here, we enter the ultimate slow food movement and the vast world of salumi, Italian meat curing. While all salumi is worthy of attention, not all are considered pantry staples, so we will focus on just a few items: prosciutto, pancetta, and guanciale.
Generally, when discussing the pantry, we mean items that can be held indefinitely in room temperature conditions (simple examples are preserved anchovies and dried pasta). The meat products described here must be kept in the refrigerator but will last much longer than uncured meat.
Prosciutto is essentially Italian ham - large, cured pieces of the pig’s leg. Salt is the only added ingredient, and aging lasts 2-3 years. While most prosciutto you’ll find is generic, its most famous versions hail from one of two origins: Parma (from Emilia-Romagna) and San Daniele (from Friuli). Each has its adherents, as there are slight differences between the two in the method of production and environmental conditions. On the palate, Parma tends to be a bit sweeter tasting, and San Daniele is more complex, but both have the gorgeous, silky texture and sweet-salty nuttiness we expect. Unlike most true pantry items, prosciutto shines as a food on its own, but it does have versatility in a supporting role: shredded and tossed in pasta or on pizza, folded into stews or sauces, or torn and mixed with salads.
Pancetta and guanciale - pork belly and jowl, respectively - are both cured with salt and other spices, such as black pepper, chili flakes, fennel, allspice, and nutmeg. To make pancetta, the flat slab of the belly is commonly (but not always) rolled and tied into a tight cylinder that can be thinly shaved and served straight up in the manner of prosciutto but is often also cut into cubes and used as a base for sauces or pasta.
Guanciale, seen less often in the U.S. than pancetta, is more distinctive. While it’s cured similarly to pancetta, it has a very different flavor thanks to being from the cheek, a muscle in constant motion while the animal is alive, giving the cut its unique, high-pitched, aromatic electricity. Guanciale is primarily fat with only a thin layer of meat, but it’s the fat that provides the flavor. If pancetta makes lovely versions of the Roman pasta classics - carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia - guanciale makes pungent, authentic, unforgettable ones. Sizzle a few lardons of guanciale in a pan over medium heat, and you will almost instantly sense the umami. Guanciale melts almost instantly, infusing every dish with a lifted, savory goodness that can only be matched by… the anchovy.
Let's be honest, a little anchovy and do a whole lot.