The Gascon salted pork called Ventrèche is bacon that at its most traditional seems to be cured with just salt as a curing agent. However, commercially produced varieties seem to contain nitrite curing salts.
Internet searches indicate that it’s salted or cured, rolled or flat, smoked or unsmoked, salt-pork or bacon, with or without nitrite/nitrate curing salts, used fresh or hung to dry, with or without garlic! There seems a concensus that it’s got a layer of black pepper over the meat though. Well, that’s nice and clear then!
Continue reading Ventrèche – Bacon by another name
