If you like Italian food, you might be wondering if you can eat raw pancetta without getting sick. This is a common question because many people are unfamiliar with pancetta and whether it can be bought cooked or raw.
This is a type of Italian meat that is thinly sliced and can be eaten in a variety of ways. However, many people are unfamiliar with this type of meat and do not know how to prepare or serve it.
Pancetta comes from pork, so it’s extremely important that you be careful not to eat it completely raw. Because raw pork poses a variety of health risks, as it can transmit diseases and parasites through the raw meat.
Because of this, you should always make sure you’re eating safe pork products that aren’t raw. Read on to find out whether or not you can safely eat raw pancetta.
Pancetta is safe to eat raw
If you love eating pancetta, you might be wondering if this type of meat is safe to eat raw. While you shouldn’t eat pancetta raw, most pancetta is dry-cured, making it safe to eat as is.
This is because this Italian meat has gone through a dry-curing process that removes all the extra moisture. It is not traditionally cooked but is still safe to eat as the meat is no longer raw.
Pancetta is a type of Italian meat that is often referred to as Italian bacon. Extremely thin, it is served in slices, with a severe effect very similar to the appearance of bacon.
Many Italians eat streaky bacon as is, without subjecting it to any cooking method. It is often eaten on its own, served with other side dishes, or added to dishes such as pasta.
So this is a great kind of me to try if you are unfamiliar with it or want to enjoy more Italian food. It’s also very convenient that you usually don’t even have to cook this type of meat before enjoying it.
Store-bought pancetta is cured
Now that you know that pancetta isn’t typically sold raw, you might be wondering if store-bought pancetta is cooked. The good news is that the type of pancetta that is commercially available is always cured unless otherwise noted.
You won’t typically find this type of meat sold raw in any store, as most pancetta is cured before being packaged for sale. This curing process helps remove moisture from the meat, eliminating the safety hazards.
It is not bent according to traditional standards, but is salt-dried, which acts as a kind of cooking method. By drying the meat and removing excess moisture, killing harmful bacteria and preserving it.
This is a very traditional way of curing meat so it can be eaten without necessarily having to cook it. So, store-bought pancetta is safe to eat right out of the package as it is not raw.
How can you tell if pancetta is safe to eat?
Now that you know how to make pancetta safe to eat, you might be wondering how to tell if you shouldn’t eat it. Although this type of meat has a long shelf life, there are instances when it can go bad.
Especially if it hasn’t cured properly or hasn’t been stored for a long time. So there are certain signs to look out for to make sure this type of meat is still safe to eat.
Pink and moist
The pancetta should be pink and moist when safe and fully set. It may appear raw and unsafe to eat, but this is what this type of meat usually looks like after being cured.
It should be a healthy pink color that is not dark red or any other type of color. It should be slightly moist, but not slimy or extremely soggy.
white fat
Pancetta is very similar to bacon in that it contains streaks of fat in the flesh that create a severe pattern. These streaks of fat should be either creamy or bright white in color that is healthy and clean.
Pancetta fat should never be yellow or green in color or any other type of natural color. This could indicate that the meat has gone bad and should not be eaten.
Looks fresh
Although pancetta has a raw appearance, it should always appear fresh to be safe to eat. It shouldn’t look dry or gray or brown when still fresh and safe to eat.
This meat should retain the same color and texture as when you first bought it. If it’s undergoing any changes in appearance, it most likely means something went wrong and the meat is no longer safe to eat.
Final Thoughts
If you love eating pancetta, you may be wondering if you can’t eat this type of meat raw. The good news is that you won’t typically find raw pancetta sold in stores since it’s cured in salt.
This curing process preserves the meat and eliminates safety concerns, although it’s not cooked in the traditional way.
