Since time immemorial, man has used the power of the smoke released by the combustion of wood to flavor and preserve food. The wood used for this type of process generally has a low resin content, so that it can burn at low temperatures and slowly, delicately impregnating meat, fish or vegetables.
The Gombitelli artisan cured meat factory has recently created some new products, with a cold smoking technique that involves the use of zero-kilometer wood, coming from the woods surrounding the production plant.

Smoke? Yes but it depends on the method

In America, as well as in many northern and eastern European countries, people go crazy for the smoky flavor. A strong taste, a penetrating scent that, rising up the nose, reaches the stomach walls. Sometimes, however, these products are not smoked with the natural and artisanal method, but are subjected to industrial transformation processes. In this context, to proceed with the fumigation of large quantities of meat, we proceed using additives of synthetic origin, the so-called liquid smoke. While producing flavors and smells that at first sight (at first contact) are certainly interesting, in the long run this type of processing ends up flattening the flavors, making them all somewhat the same. Smoking with the “magic liquid” thus creates cured meats with a strong and decisive flavor, sometimes even a little too strong, with the risk of covering the natural aromas and scents coming from the meat.

Smoked Bacon Rolled Out: an idea from the Gombitelli Salumificio

With the idea of ​​providing a range of smoked products, pleasant to the nose and interesting in terms of flavor, the artisan cured meat factory of Gombitelli has recently created some new products, using a cold smoking technique. The idea is to respect the meat of origin as much as possible, without covering the aromas, but rather going to enhance them, to enhance them. Seeing is believing. For example, try making a simple Pasta alla Carbonara, or a Bucatino all’Amatriciana, using our smoked pancetta. You don’t even need to be explained what the difference is between what you buy in the supermarket refrigerated counter. Of course, the second is already sliced, portioned, packaged in a protected atmosphere. The first is to discard and cut it, choose which parts to use, understand how pork fat behaves, pork fat the good one, in a pan. You will soon realize that nothing else is needed. Once you have good bacon – and you know how to use it, any first course is a downhill preparation.

How to prepare the Smoked Bacon Spread

The Pancetta Stesa in Tuscany is one of the typical cured meats of the tradition. It also takes the name of Rigatino, a term that indicates the presence of a thin line of lean red meat that usually crosses this preparation in the center. The streak of the lean muscle is therefore the peculiarity that connotes this product even in the smoked version. The difference in this case lies in the color, which from red becomes brown, due to the fumigation process of the meat.
But let’s take a step back. Which parts of the pork are chosen for the bacon? The highest cuts are selected, between the back and the belly, leaving the rind. The ideal is that there is a moderate presence of lean, to give flavor and fragrance to the fat. Spices do the rest, in particular garlic, black pepper and rosemary, as in the typical Tuscan tradition. Once the bacon is removed from the brine, it is time to move into the smoker machine. The idea behind the cold smoking process is to expose cured meats to a slow burn. In this regard, use wood chips, a decidedly fine grain – but thicker than sawdust. During the hours of exposure to smoking, the cured meats reach temperatures between 10 ° C and 30 ° C. As you will understand, this is not a cooking, but a slow immersion which also increases the ability of the meat to resist the bacterial load and therefore conservation.

Ingredients

Pork bacon, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs and spices, sugar: dextrose, antioxidant: E301, preservatives: E250-E252.

Produced in a factory where dairy products and gluten-containing ingredients are not used.

It may contain traces of walnuts and pistachios.

Salumificio Artigianale Gombitelli di Triglia M. & T. s.n.c. Via dei norcini, 4719/4725 Gombitelli – 55041 Camaiore (LU)

Store in cool place.

Smoked natural in a smoker, using beech wood, bay leaves and juniper berries.

100% ITALIAN