Do you have to cook Pancetta before using it?

This is my first time using pancetta, I bought it from a deli counter, and plan on using it to make the no bake kebobs, except what I am doing differently this time is I am going to add some meats (salami, muldano, and pancetta), to make it more like an anti-pasto salad on a skewer.

But what I need to know is pancetta, the italian counterpart to bacon, do I need to blanch it at all before using it?

I can't find anywhere on the net that says I have to blanch it first, or fry it

I just don't want to make anyone sick.

Mooch

Comments: 8

.* Sandi * Apr 9, 2009, 11:05pm UTC

sorry no clue

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Leah Christensen Apr 9, 2009, 11:23pm UTC

I don't even know what the stuff is. I'll send this to my husband. Maybe he'll have an idea. He's the cook in our family.

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R B Apr 9, 2009, 11:27pm UTC

Ask the deli before you buy it.

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Jo N. Apr 9, 2009, 11:28pm UTC

Sorry, I don't know anything about it.

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Mooch -. Apr 10, 2009, 1:27am UTC

Pancetta is a cured bacon and I've been searching online. Its not cured as long as proscuito, but its cured, and according to one sight I found, you don't have to cook it, but its still very salty but yet kind of a smooth flavor. (I found one sight, thanx to my husband that answered if you had ot cook it or not, but the person who blogged about it couldn't see a lot of people eating it without frying it or blanching it), I tried it raw, and actually really liked it.

I'm am now wondering if anyone has had any bad or good experiences with it raw.

the saltiness of it, I'm not to worried about because I am going to be putting it on skewers with sun dried tomatoes, genoa salami, and an Italian bologna.

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Walker Bennett, SF Author Apr 10, 2009, 9:39am UTC

Because it is cured pork belly, I would definitely cook it first to avoid trichonosis. The French only use it for larding, but in Croatia it can be a main dish by itself with sarma (rolled and wrapped in phyllo dough) and punjene paprike.

Always cooked.

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Barbara M. Apr 12, 2009, 11:57am UTC

hmmm, no idea.

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Do you have to cook Pancetta before using it?

Comments: 8

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