If you're used to Italian style pancetta, the unsmoked, rolled belly of pig, La Quercia's excellent Pancetta Americano has a few differences worth noting.

First, it's meatier. While there's still a significant amount of fine white fat as there should be (which glows in a beautiful transluscence when cooked) there's more pork to sink your teeth into.

Second, La Quercia leaves their pancetta unrolled so it looks like a large slab of American bacon.

Finally, it's cured, not fermented. That means there's no skin, the texture is smoother, the flavor sweeter. In fact the aroma alone is worth the price of admission here.

You can slice Pancetta Americano thin and enjoy it raw as part of a salami tray. Cut it coarsely and cook it with vegetables. Anyway you'd use Italian pancetta — or even American bacon, for the adventurous cook — you can use Pancetta Americano.

Hand cut into half pound pieces and shipped frozen. Stored in your refrigerator, it will last for weeks.

For bacon maniacs: check out our Rasher Roster bacon pig magnet.