Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga

The History
The parts of the pork's belly are squared and trimmed. The trimmed parts are used for the fat part of salami and lard. After trimming, the pancetta is salted.
It is sprinkled with salt, herbs and spices (especially black pepper).

Pancetta can be:

• rolled as a big salami (generally without pork rind)
• splinted, with pork rind (folded and closed between two solid boards that are firmly tied one to the other)
• flat, with pork rind

The real aging can last 50 to 60 days for the flat pancetta and the small ones, and 90 to 120 days for the bigger ones.