Home-cured Pancetta - Part III

Click here for - Home-cured Pancetta Part I (This took about 10 days)
Click here for - Home-cured Pancetta Part II (This is supposed to take 30 days but I can't wait!)
Click here to find out what a pancetta is - Word of the Week: Pancetta

OK, it hasn't been a month yet since Part II but I am giving in to my impatience and utmost curiosity on how this is going to turn out. Besides thinking about duck fat, my mind also keeps wandering to this thing that has been sitting in my fridge for the past 2 weeks. To be quite honest, my expectations range from "I could get botulism from this" to "At worst, just junk the whole thing."

So, this is how it looks right now. Completely dry by now. The bottom part has darkened considerably.

I slice them open to find this. OK, looks kinda promising but I am still totally wary. It smells good in a herby way.

Not sure of what to do next, I cut them into a typical pancetta look. It looks like lard with layers of fat interspersed with meat of different shades. I decide to take the risk and pop one in my mouth. It tastes salty and rubbery and I spit it out!! Oopsy. What am I going to do with this thing? I need some advice here. Hello, anybody there? Houston, we have a problem.

OK, think!

OK. I cling-wrap them back and I'm going to use it as if it already works as a pancetta. I'll add them to my pizza or pasta tomorrow. Or I could pan-fry them to see what happens.

Anyone has any better ideas?

Now, while I have little to boast of this culinary experiment, I can't help but notice how interesting this shot looks. Does it look like something out of a magazine? I can't take my eyes off it!