Published on Wednesday, Mar. 12, 2008 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Friday, Mar. 13, 2009 11:33AM EDT
Cheeky little treats
Pork belly, roll over. The latest cut of piggy to arrive on the local market is cheek. The Oyama Sausage Co. on Granville Island has started making its own guanciale, the full-flavoured hunk of jowl that is an essential ingredient for authentic spaghetti carbonara or bucatini all'Amatriciana.
Guanciale is similar to bacon, but is fattier and not smoked. Quebeckers might recognize it as oreilles de Christ (Christ's ears), the deep-fried pork grills that are topped with maple syrup and served at sugar shacks in springtime.
Oyama uses free-range heirloom pork, which is cured with salt and Italian spices and then air-dried for a month.
The meat comes in full jowl-sized portions, about one pound each, with skin attached, for $6.99. Granville Island Public Market, 1689 Johnston St.;
604-327-7407
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