Exploring Substitutes for Guanciale in Pasta Dishes: Is Smoked Pork Jowl an Option?

gailannbrown701
1 day ago
6 min read

This post explores alternatives to guanciale in classic Roman pasta dishes. While most Americans use bacon, smoked pork jowls may be a better and less expensive alternative in dishes like Amatriciana. We made a classic Bucatini All'Amatriciana twice, using guanciale in one version and guanciale in the other. How will humble American pork jowl stack up against its more expensive Italian cousin?

Roman pasta dishes, renowned for their rich flavors and hearty ingredients, have captured the hearts of food lovers around the world. Traditional recipes often call for guanciale—a cured pork cheek (jowl) that adds a unique depth of flavor to classics like Bucatini All'Amatriciana. However, guanciale is not always available and is expensive, at times costing upwards of $25 per pound. As a more budget-friendly alternative, many home cooks wonder if smoked pork jowls can stand in for this iconic ingredient. This post will explore whether smoked pork jowls, along with other substitutes like cured pork belly, salt pork, bacon, or pancetta, can deliver a satisfying dish worthy of the Roman culinary legacy.

Understanding Guanciale

Guanciale is a beloved ingredient in Roman cooking, known for its richness, flavor, and unique texture. Made from the pork cheek or jowl, it undergoes a curing process that infuses it with various spices, typically including black pepper and sometimes garlic, before it is aged for several months. This results in a fatty, melt-in-your-mouth texture that beautifully enhances pasta dishes, with Bucatini All'Amatriciana being a prime example.

Though guanciale defines the flavor profile of many Roman recipes, its high price point often puts it out of reach for the average home cook. This prompts a search for alternatives that can lead to delicious results without breaking the bank.

Smoked Pork Jowl as a Substitute

Smoked pork jowl is one of the most accessible substitutes available. Priced at under $5 per pound (I buy it at my local Walmart for $4.54 for a 1.25-pound portion), it offers a more affordable way to enjoy flavors reminiscent of guanciale. While smoked pork jowl does carry a different taste profile due to its smoking process, this smokier flavor can be minimized. First, soak the pork jowl in room temperature water for 30 minutes, then pat dry and remove the skin. In this way, the smoky flavor will be nearly undetectable.

The cleaned and skinned pork jowl will have a flavor very similar to guanciale, because they are the same part of the pork, and both are cured. Guanciale will have a slightly funkier or darker flavor, and the smoked pork jowl is less salty. For this reason, I will often add a little more salt when cooking with smoked pork jowl..

Cured Pork Belly and Salt Pork

Another option for guanciale is cured pork belly and cured pork belly. While each of these options is good, without smokiness, they are not as good as pork jowl in Roman pasta dishes. The pork jowl exudes more liquid fat when cooked, which is the basis of the sauce for carbonara, gricia, and amatriciana. Without the large amount of rendered fat that comes off of pork jowl, the sauces are a letdown. Having said this, if you choose carefully, you can select pork belly with a lot of fat, and it does produce a nice alternative.

Cured pork belly is very hard to find, so you may need to buy fresh pork belly and cure it at home. This simple process is covered at length in this post on seriouseasts.com. You only need fresh pork belly, some salt, and about 4 days. You can, of course, cure your pork belly for longer with spices to make it even more reminiscent of guanciale.

Salt pork, a staple in older recipes, can serve as an alternative as well. Typically salt-cured and somewhat less fatty, it may require adjustments in cooking times and methods to render fat effectively. While salt pork offers authenticity in flavor, it can cloud the vibrant tastes you'd expect from a Roman dish, making it less suitable than the previous options. While some commentators maintain it is more salty than guanciale, I find salt pork and guanciale to be very similar in saltiness. If your salt pork is too salty, soak it in room temperature water for 30 minutes before using it and pat it dry.

Bacon and Pancetta: The Controversial Choices

Bacon and pancetta serve as popular choices for those adapting Roman recipes, but they can be somewhat controversial. Bacon infuses a strong smoky undertone that can overpower traditional flavors. Though it can work in a pinch, it often transforms the dish significantly, making it something other than a classic Roman pasta experience. Pancetta, on the other hand, shares some characteristics with guanciale, being Italian and made from pork belly that is seasoned and cured. It generally has a less pronounced flavor than bacon, making it a viable alternative when guanciale is scarce. However, remember that pancetta lacks the distinctive richness and texture of guanciale, and often will not render out enough fat to make a good sauce. Pancetta is also hard to find unsliced and quite expensive.

Basic Recipe for Amatriciana

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon good olive oil

4-6 ounces of guanciale or smoked pork jowl, rinsed with the skin removed and cubed

2 shallots, sliced thinly

1/2 c. white wine

One 28-oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with your hands

Dried red pepper flakes, to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 - 1 cup pasta water

12-16 ounces of bucatini or other pasta, bronze cut

1/2 c. finely grated percorino romano cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Put 4 liters of water in a large pot with 1.5 tablespoons of salt on medium-high heat to boil.
Cut the guanciale or pork jowl into 1/4 inch strips and then 1/4 inch lardons.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat.
Cook the guanciale or pork jowl slowly, until it renders out considerable fat and becomes deliciously crisp. Reserve a few pieces of pork for garnish later on.
Add the shallots and cook until translucent.
Add wine and increase heat to medium, cooking off the alcohol.
Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and cracked black pepper.
Taste for salt (if using smoked pork jowl, add salt to match the saltiness of guanciale).
Cook the tomato sauce for 5 minutes, then put the pasta into boiling water.
When the pasta is nearing al dente, remove it from the water and add it to the tomato sauce along with 1/2 c. pasta water.
Continue stirring or flipping the pasta vigorously while it finishes cooking in the tomato sauce. Stir until al dente and remove from the heat.
Add the pecorino romano cheese in two batches, stirring constantly.
Serve immediately in bowls with more pecorino romano and a few pieces of reserved crispy guanciale or pork jowl.

The results for both the guanciale version and the smoked pork jowl version were very good. In fact, they were virtually indistinguishable. The porked jowl version has a slightly brighter flavor and was slightly less salty. The guanciale held up better in the sauce and remained slightly larger after cooking. But the flavor profiles were very similar.

The guanciale version (left) and the smoked pork jowl version (right).

Cooking Tips for Achieving Depth of Flavor

No matter which substitute is chosen, there are ways to elevate the dish to make it feel more authentic:

Render Slowly: Cook your chosen substitute over low heat to allow the fat to melt gently, creating a flavorful base for your pasta sauce.
Enhance with Aromatics: Adding garlic, onion, or even a touch of crushed red pepper can help achieve a more complex flavor profile.
Use Quality Tomatoes: Good-quality canned or fresh tomatoes can enhance the sauce's overall taste, balancing out any differences from the meat substitute.
Use good-quality Pecorino Cheese: Part of being a budget-conscious shopper is knowing when to save money and when to buy the good stuff. Pecorino Romano cheese is essential to carbonara, gricia, and amatriciana dishes. While I find smoked pork jowl a good substitute in these dishes, cow's milk Romano cheese is not. You can find good pecorino at Sam's Club, Costco, and farmers' markets everywhere. It keeps beautifully for months, so buy the good stuff and use it. A generous amount of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese will add the salty richness that complements the dish, creating a more authentic Roman experience.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, while guanciale remains the gold standard in Roman pasta dishes, various substitutes allow home cooks to enjoy classic recipes without excessive expense. Smoked pork jowl and cured pork belly emerge as practical choices that can produce flavorful results, though they may deliver different tasting experiences.

By employing thoughtful cooking techniques and enhancing flavors through the addition of aromatics and quality ingredients, one can approach the authenticity of traditional Roman dishes. Making these classic recipes accessible to everyone enriches the culinary landscape, inviting more people to enjoy and appreciate the deliciousness inherent in this remarkable cuisine.

In conclusion, while guanciale may be the traditional choice, the world of cooking thrives on creativity and adaptation—why not embrace it with an open palate and a willingness to explore? Buy the smoked pork jowl and give it a go!