How to Make Guanciale at Home

Guanciale (pronounced gwan-CHAH-leh) means pillow in Italian. It also means amazingly-cured pork cheek or jowl.

Guanciale is made from the jowl (the face area) of the pig and is one of the simplest cures for an amateur to make at home. The jowl is relatively thin and thus you are more likely to cure it all the way through to the center. It compares well to pancetta and can either be eaten raw if sliced thinly or cut thick and pan fried to add depth and flavor to many dishes. It is an indispensable tool in the Italian chef’s arsenal of ingredients. It can be used for a flavoring for stews or soups and as a featured ingredient in many pasta preparations such as carbonara.

If you’ve never had this amazing concoction of fatty, porky sweet and salty goodness I encourage you to run—not walk— to your local salumi purveyor and get some now.

Unlike bacon made from the belly, face bacon contains a high ratio of collagen to fat, and this is what makes it so unique. The flavor is incredible. You don’t smoke the bacon, so there is a very earthy porkiness to it. No, this isn’t the kind of bacon you fry up with your eggs. This is the dream bacon you need to make the most incredible Pasta Carbonara you’ve ever had, and I am not exaggerating.

Step by Step Guide to Making Guanciale at Home

1. Weigh the pork jowl

Weigh the pork jowl before adding anything to it. Write this number down. You will use it to calculate the cure and to track drying.

For example, a 2-pound pork jowl weighs about 900 g. If you are aiming for about 30% weight loss, the finished guanciale should weigh roughly 630 g.

2. Calculate the cure

Use a weight-based cure:

3% kosher salt by weight of the pork
1.5% brown sugar by weight of the pork

For a 900 g pork jowl, that means:

27 g kosher salt
14 g brown sugar

The spice amounts do not need to be as exact as the salt, but they should be measured with some restraint. Guanciale should taste of pork, fat, salt, and time, with spice in support.

3. Toast and grind the spices

Toast black peppercorns, juniper berries, red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, star anise, and allspice in a dry pan just until fragrant. Let them cool, then grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Do not walk away from the pan. Whole spices move from toasted to bitter without much ceremony.

4. Cure the jowl

Pat the pork jowl dry. Trim away any loose edges, and make sure any remaining hair has been removed.

Mix the salt, brown sugar, and ground spices. Rub the mixture over every surface of the jowl. Place the jowl in a sealable bag or non-reactive container, scraping in any cure that falls away.

Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, turning the jowl once a day. Liquid will collect in the bag or container. That is normal.

5. Rinse, dry, and prepare for hanging

After curing, rinse the jowl under cold water to remove the surface cure and spices. Pat it dry very well.

Set it on a rack, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. This helps the surface dry before hanging.

Tie the jowl with butcher’s twine so it can hang securely. Cheesecloth can be used to protect it from dust and insects, but it should not be wrapped so tightly that airflow is blocked.

6. Dry the guanciale

Hang the jowl in a curing chamber or other controlled space at:

50–60°F / 10–15°C
65–75% relative humidity
Gentle airflow

Avoid direct sun, warm rooms, damp rooms, and strong fans blowing directly on the meat.

Dry until the jowl has lost about 30% of its original weight and feels firm but not hard. This usually takes 3 to 5 weeks, but time is only a guide. Weight loss and texture matter more.

7. Watch for case hardening

Case hardening happens when the outside dries too fast while the inside remains soft. The outside may feel leathery or hard early in the drying period, but the center still feels yielding.

To reduce the risk, keep humidity in the 65–75% range and use gentle airflow rather than strong direct airflow. If the surface firms too fast, increase humidity slightly and reduce airflow.

8. Check mold and aroma

A light, white powdery mold can be normal on dry-cured meats. Wipe it with a cloth dampened with vinegar if desired.

Green, black, fuzzy, wet, or unpleasant-smelling mold is not something to work around casually. If the guanciale smells rotten, sour in a bad way, ammonia-like, or otherwise wrong, discard it.

9. Store and use

Once dried, wrap the guanciale in parchment or butcher paper and refrigerate. For longer storage, vacuum seal and refrigerate or freeze.

Slice thinly or cut into small batons. For home-cured guanciale, cooking is the safest default unless you are working with validated curing controls and can verify the finished product’s safety. Render it in a pan and use it for pasta, greens, beans, soups, or sauces.

Recipe Notes and 101 Guide

Guanciale vs pancetta

Guanciale is pork jowl. Pancetta is pork belly. The curing and drying process is similar, but the cuts behave differently. Jowl has more connective tissue and a different fat structure, which gives guanciale its particular texture when rendered.

Why weight-based curing matters

Volume measurements are unreliable for curing. A half cup of one brand of kosher salt can weigh much less than a half cup of another. Weighing the salt gives a more consistent cure.

Weight loss target

Aim for about 30% weight loss from the original weight of the pork jowl. A 900 g jowl should finish around 630 g. A 1,000 g jowl should finish around 700 g.

Drying conditions

The drying space should stay around 50–60°F / 10–15°C with 65–75% relative humidity. Temperatures above this range can create food safety problems. Humidity that is too low can dry the outside too fast. Humidity that is too high can encourage unwanted mold.

Airflow

Airflow should be present but not aggressive. A fan pointed directly at the meat can cause case hardening. Gentle circulation around the hanging jowl is the goal.

Mold

White powdery mold is common in dry-curing environments. Green, black, fuzzy, wet, or foul-smelling mold is a warning sign. When in doubt, discard the meat.

Cooking

Guanciale is usually rendered before being used in pasta or other dishes.

How to Make Guanciale at Home

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4.8 from 12 reviews

• Author: Chef Ashley Quick
• Total Time: 4-6 weeks
• Yield: Makes 1
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

Cure your own pork jowl for intensely flavorful pasta carbonara and other dishes. Its easier than you think!

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Ingredients

For the Pork:

• 1 pork jowl, skin on, about 2 pounds (900 g)
• Kosher salt, 3% of pork weight, about 27 g for a 900 g jowl
• Brown sugar, 1.5% of pork weight, about 14 g for a 900 g jowl

For the Spice Rub:

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries

For Drying:

• Butcher’s twine
• Cheesecloth, optional
• Vinegar, for wiping light surface mold if needed

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Instructions

Weigh the Pork:

Weigh the pork jowl before curing and write down the starting weight.

Calculate the salt at 3% of the pork weight.

Calculate the brown sugar at 1.5% of the pork weight.

For a 900 g pork jowl, use about 27 g kosher salt and 14 g brown sugar.

Toast and Grind the Spices:

Place the black peppercorns, juniper berries, red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, star anise, and allspice in a dry skillet over medium heat.

Toast for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant.

Let the spices cool.

Grind the spices in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Make the Cure:

In a small bowl, mix the kosher salt, brown sugar, and ground spices.

Prepare the Pork Jowl:

Check the pork jowl for any remaining hair and remove it.

Pat the pork jowl dry with paper towels.

Trim away any loose edges.

Apply the Cure:

Rub the cure mixture over every surface of the pork jowl.

Place the jowl in a sealable bag or non-reactive container.

Add any cure that falls away into the bag or container.

Cure in the Refrigerator:

Refrigerate the pork jowl for 5 to 7 days.

Turn the jowl once a day so the cure is redistributed.

Liquid will collect during curing; this is normal.

Rinse and Dry:

Remove the pork jowl from the cure.

Rinse it under cold water to remove the surface cure and spices.

Pat it dry very well with paper towels.

Place the jowl on a rack, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours to dry the surface.

Tie and Hang:

Tie the pork jowl securely with butcher’s twine.

Wrap loosely in cheesecloth if needed to protect it from dust or insects.

Hang the jowl so air can circulate around the entire piece.

Dry the Guanciale:

Dry at 50–60°F (10–15°C) with 65–75% relative humidity and gentle airflow.

Avoid direct sunlight and strong airflow blowing directly on the meat.

Weigh the jowl weekly.

Dry until it has lost about 30% of its original weight and feels firm but not hard.

This usually takes 3 to 5 weeks, depending on thickness and drying conditions.

Monitor During Drying:

Check the guanciale regularly for aroma, texture, and mold.

If light white surface mold appears, wipe it with a clean cloth dampened with vinegar.

Discard the guanciale if it develops green, black, fuzzy, wet, or unpleasant-smelling mold.

Store and Use:

Once dried, wrap the guanciale in parchment or butcher paper and refrigerate.

For longer storage, vacuum seal and refrigerate or freeze.

Slice thinly or cut into small batons.

Cook before serving unless you are using a validated curing process and can verify the finished product’s safety.

Notes

Use a scale for the pork, salt, and sugar. Volume measurements are not reliable enough for curing.

Aim for about 30% weight loss from the starting weight. A 900 g jowl should finish around 630 g.

Guanciale is made from pork jowl. Pancetta is made from pork belly. The curing and drying process is similar, but the cuts are different.

Case hardening happens when the outside dries too fast while the center remains soft. Keep humidity around 65–75% and avoid strong direct airflow.

The drying space should have gentle air circulation, not a fan pointed directly at the meat.

The guanciale should smell clean, cured, and porky. Sour, rotten, ammonia-like, or otherwise unpleasant smells are warning signs.

White powdery mold can be normal in dry-curing. Green, black, fuzzy, wet, or bad-smelling mold is not.

Remove the old note about cooking to 155°F. This recipe has no cooking step; guanciale is cured and dried, then usually cooked in a finished dish.

For home-cured guanciale, cooking before eating is the safest default unless you have controlled curing conditions and a validated process.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Drying Time: 5 weeks
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Curing
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 oz
• Calories: 200
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 800
• Fat: 15
• Saturated Fat: 5
• Unsaturated Fat: 10
• Carbohydrates: 2
• Protein: 20
• Cholesterol: 80

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