Kitchen

[Snicks1]

I need some help please. How do capocollo and pancetta compare, can one be switched for the other in a recipe? From what I have googled, it appears they can be, but wanted some of your 'expert' opinions. I know some of you are of Italian descent and know much more about these meats than I do. I am planning to make Genovese Red Sauce, and could not easily find pancetta here in my small-ish town. Want to make this on Tuesday. Should I use more/less capocollo than I would of pancetta, if a substitution is even acceptable, and how/how much will this change the taste of the red sauce? TIA for any advice.

[IamMrsG]

@Snicks1  I am neither Italian nor "expert."  

Capicola is similar to ham while pancetta is bacon.   I hope this is helpful enough until a real Italian or expert shows up.  

[Campion]

As the other poster said, one is ham (with a red pepper seasoning) and pancetta is a rolled fatty bacon.

It's salt cured but NOT smoked. If you can't find it, you can blanch regular bacon (to remove the smoke flavor) and use that. Boil it for about 2 min to remove the smoke. 

Guianciale is pork jowl "bacon"--salt cured. It's thicker and meatier than pancetta. 

Capicola is neck "ham" (capo i collo head and neck) It's salted and seasoned and air dried so it's a bit like prosciutto. 

[Brooklynny]

You can substitute bacon for the pancetta, but pancetta has a milder flavor.  Capicollo is usually eaten as a cold cut/luncheon meat.  I've never seen it used in a recipe, but I could be wrong.  I often substitute Prosciutto di Parma (or Prosciutto San Daniele) for pancetta in many recipes I make.  I chop it into small pieces and then add it to the recipe at the point you would add the pancetta.  

[Snicks1]

@IamMrsG, @Campion, @Brooklynny

Thank you all very much. Apparently, around here, the stores only carry pancetta around the 'holidays', or so I was told, but did find capocollo. I am going to try it and see what happens. I do appreciate the info and advice very much. Thanks again.

[Auntie CC]

Hiya..this American of Italian descent uses fat back/salt pork/streek o lean, or whatever it's called in your area in place of the pancetta. When my Italian Gma came here she used fat back for all but her sunday sauce. Treat it the same way you'd treat pancetta.

[Snicks1]

@AuntieCC, thank you so much for your reply. I have my sauce simmering now, so we shall see how it turns out later on today. Thanks again.

[jaxs mom]

I'd use regular bacon if I couldn't get pancetta but then I like smoke flavor.

[Campion]

I prefer salted "jowl" salt pork to streak-o-lean. I blanch it a bit. It works like guianciale or pancetta but not quite as good. You can't beat the Italians for saliumeri but American groceries don't carry real Italian stuff. I remember I used to shop in Germany with my Italian-American husband at an Italian groceria. The guy only opened on Saturdays and Thursdays and he had the best cold meats (and wine in mason jars...right from some no-name vineyard in Sicily.) Great stuff.