Raw pancetta cut from British pork belly, cured and sold in a square block so you can slice or dice it exactly as the dish demands. The high fat content renders slowly in the pan, building the savoury base that carbonara, ragù and slow-cooked stews are built on. What is raw pancetta? Pancetta is pork belly that has been cured but not smoked, which is what separates it from bacon. The flavour is deep, salty and purely porky, without the smoky note. A square cut gives you freedom: thin slices to crisp, thick batons for lardons, or small dice to melt into a sauce. How to cook raw pancetta This pancetta is sold raw and must be cooked before eating. Dice or slice it, then start it in a cold pan over a medium heat so the fat renders slowly, stirring until golden. Use it as the base of a carbonara or amatriciana, fold it through risotto, or add it to stews and braises at the start of cooking. For ready-cut pieces with a smoky note, try our smoked bacon lardons, or browse the full British bacon collection.
