Tonight’s dinner was half a jowl of guanciale, finely cubed, fat rendered off and a medium Japanese eggplant peeled and cubed added to sauté in the guanciale fat. To finish I added half a bottle of Rao’s Sicilian Eggplant sauce. Served over garganelli and topped with freshly grated parmagianp reggiano, it was good with a still slightly tannic 1997 Luna ‘Canto’, 34% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 30% sangiovese, 3% syrah, from Napa Valley. The Canto was noticibly tannic without the pasta dish. With the pasta and the slight saltiness of the guanciale, the cab/merlot herbal notes and the tannins were much mitigated, it was dark in color; herbal, dark fruit nose and flavors, until with the tomato, eggplant, & guanciale, it shifted to an earthy dark fruit; mid-palate was tannic unless following a bite of pasta, there was just enough acidity to help with the tomatoes and eggplant; finish was medium, shortened by the tannins, whether they raked the palate or not. Overall I think I enjoyed the Canto a bit more than Carollee.
Nice note Dick.
I love Guanciale. Is there anything Italians can’t do with a pig?
I have never seen a whole pig’s head Italian-style. But I have had an Old English-style pig’s head for a Twelfth Night party at a friend’s house many years ago.