[Sca-cooks] question of Italian meats

[Chris Stanifer]

--- "Laura C. Minnick" <lcm at efn.org> wrote:
> Hi everyone!
>
> I'm working on precook for Egils this weekend (it
> looks like I'll be
> feeding 12! Ack!) and I have a question. Two of the
> recipes I'm using
> are from _The Medieval Kitchen_ and call for
> pancetta. The deli at
> Safeway didn't have any and I'm not minded to go
> running all over town-
> I don't have time or energy and I have to just get
> these done. So I got
> som prosciuttio instead. Will this work?

Proscuitto should be a good substitute for pancetta.
At least, it's a better substitute than modern bacon,
which has a totally different flavor and texture than
pancetta.  If possible, though, you could ask your
butcher to cut you a slab of raw, uncured/unsmoked
bacon, and that would be an even better sub than the
proscuitto.  As far as the actual cooking is
concerned, the proscuitto will tend to come out a lot
drier than the pancetta, since there is not nearly as
much fat in it.  I would suggest layering with manteca
under the proscuitto, but that's just me...

Balthazar of Blackmoor

=====
Let the people hate, as long as they also fear.

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