# I bought some guanciale. Now what?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** food-cooking
**Created:** [July 17, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385 "2024-07-17T16:09:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/1 "2024-07-17T16:09:45Z")
We went to Eataly several days ago for a pizza lunch, and at their market I bought a few shrink-wrapped slices of guanciale (Italian hog jowl bacon). I know folks use it for pasta sauces, but I’ve never before cooked with it.
I’m making pasta for lunch today and plan to make a sauce using the guanciale. How shall I use it? Any other recommendations besides all’amatriciana?
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### Author:  [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/2 "2024-07-17T16:25:24Z")
Carbonara!
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Np28NnP40)
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/3 "2024-07-17T16:38:37Z")
What he said.
Guanciale is fantastic stuff. Bacon on steroids.
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### Author:  [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/4 "2024-07-18T14:29:09Z")
Also Pasta Alla Gricia if you don’t feel like adding an egg. Easy peasy and yummy.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb7d4u5JpBw)
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### Author:  [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2024, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/5 "2024-07-18T14:33:32Z")
You can also make either of the dishes above using pancetta, which I actually prefer vs guanciale. Cured pork belly, but not smoked like bacon so it’s not so overpowering in a dish.
[ ](https://www.thechoppingblock.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/pancetta2.jpg?width=900&name=pancetta2.jpg)
Though in a pinch you can just use bacon. There’s a thick cut brand I don’t recall the name of that’s labeled “30% less fat” that works well: it’s more hammy than regular bacon but you still get enough rendered fat to make carbonara, alla gricia. Works great.
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### Author:  [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2024, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/6 "2024-07-18T22:04:00Z")
I ended up doing all’amaticiana because I had a can of San Marzanos to use up. I wish I had done one of the other preparations, because it was difficult to taste the guanciale behind the tomato sauce.
Next time, carbonara or gricia.
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### Author:  [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/7 "2024-07-23T06:47:40Z")
I read the thread title as “I bought some _GUACAMOLE_. Now what?” and literally did not understand the question.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2024, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/8 "2024-07-23T06:57:52Z")
> [@mozchron](#):
>
> “I bought some _GUACAMOLE_. Now what?”
Guanciale tacos with guacamole would probably be pretty dang good, to be honest. Chop it up, sauté it in lard, and serve on a corn tortilla with onions, cilantro, and hot sauce, and you’re good to go.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/9 "2024-07-25T00:28:26Z")
> [@teelabrown](#):
>
> Next time, carbonara
Since you already had cooked the pasta, you were better off not making the carbonara with that batch. The hot pasta, cooked slightly this side of the package time direction, and some pasta water are critical for the dish in order to cook the eggs without them turning into a scramble.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2024, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/10 "2024-07-25T04:25:48Z")
Bon appetit, and pass the Zocor!
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/11 "2024-07-25T04:26:52Z")
The one time I tried to make carbonara, I did indeed make spaghetti con scrambled eggs. It tasted a lot better than it looked, that’s for sure.
Would using pasta water to temper the eggs first work?
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2024, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/12 "2024-07-25T07:51:30Z")
IIRC, you want to mix the eggs in off the heat to avoid curdling. Toss the pasta with the guanciale (or pancetta, which is what I usually use since guanciale is hard to come by around here) and its grease, add a splash or two of the pasta water which will help the sauce emulsify, remove from heat, then mix in the egg.
Gennaro Contaldo’s recipe is what I’ve used when I’ve made it at home.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsg5H2TEQXs)
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2024, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-bought-some-guanciale-now-what/1004385/13 "2024-07-25T13:18:09Z")
Yeah, that’s a good tutorial. You just have to work quickly so it all comes together. Same for cacio e pepe, except you don’t have eggs to worry about, just clumping cheese.