Pasta Carbonara w/ Beef-Guanciale

Growing up in NYC and eating (PORK) was normal for me. Having a Sicilian Grandfather turned me on too many different Italians foods, which I miss and love. That being said, I have not eaten any Treif in almost 18 years. About 8 months ago, I saw a recipe being made on T.V. called, yup, you guessed it, Pasta Carbonara. I remembered eating this many times as a young man. Traditional Carbonara, like the one my grandfather cooked, was made with Pancetta or Guanciale (my Cured Meats). So with that, I needed a meat that was high in fat and tasted divine. Hence my creation of Beef-Guanciale was born. 

“”” Great Article on Pasta Carbonara and it’s possible History.”"" 

Recipe 

2 whole eggs and 7 yolks

35 grams each of Pecorino Romano and Parmesano Reggiano cheese

200 grams of Guanciale chopped up (or more….Love this stuff)

28 grams to toasted finely chopped/grounded up pine nuts

50 grams of Pureed Sundried Tom packs in olive oil

1.5 tsp of pepper 

1 lb of Spaghetti

6 Tbl or more of fat or Olive oil ( I used Schmaltz)

Although this is my recipe, I decided to use Serious Eats technique for making the Pasta Carbonara. Their technique is far superior and easier than I was doing. Oh, and they have a video too. 

Toast the Pinenuts and grind them up too. I forgot to take a picture of this. Ground Pine nuts give this dish a great texture. 

Measure out the Sun-Dried Tomatoes and puree using a sharp knife or a food processor. 

Measure out the cheese too.....Why two different kinds of cheese? Pecorino Romano Cheese is made from sheep's milk and is salty, tangy, and has an umami punch. Whereas Parmigiano Reggiano, which comes from Cows Milk, is nuttier and is a bit milder. Both kinds of cheese take this dish over the top. 

These are the end Pieces of the Guanciale. As you can see in the picture to the right, I sliced/chopped them up into about 3/8's of an inch.

Get the eggs ready.......

Toss in the pepper…Note: if you like it very spicy, add 2 tsp. 

Toss in the cheese, Ground Pine Nuts, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. 

Add about 3 Tbl. of fat to the pan and saute the Beef-Guanciale on a very low flame. The Goal is to render as much fat as possible without overcooking the Guanciale.

Meanwhile... You should have had the pot of salted water boiling already. Cook the pasta right to the point before al-Dente. Reserve about 2 cups of the starchy water. Toss the al-dente pasta into the pan with the Guanciale and toss until all the pasta is coated with the fat. If you find that the fat quantity is inadequate, add some more. The pasta needs to be coated thoroughly. Adding extra fat is a personal thing and is glorious. 

Almost done... Add the now Fat coated Pasta and Guanciale to the bowl that contains the egg mixture.   Add about a 1/2 of water to the pasta and toss with tongs. Then, using the pasta pot you just used as a double boiler (keep it on simmer), place the bowl on top and keep folding the pasta using tongs. The goal is to thicken the sauce ever so gently without breaking the eggs. Keep adding water until you achieve the desired viscosity.  

As an added bonus, it's certainly not required, but I always add extra thinly sliced Guanciale to the Pasta. Add this directly to the double boiler. Do not sauté. 

REVIEW- AMAZING!!!