Ventrèche has both fat and meat, like streaky bacon or American bacon. The meat is rolled up and cured. The pieces can be of varying sizes.
Ventrèche is used in South-Western French regional cooking.
There are two types of Ventrèche, that are cured in two different ways.
Salted Ventrèche
This is the most common. It is salted for 10 days, then washed. Then it is seasoned with crushed pepper, and let dry 1 to 4 weeks. It is very close to being a French version of the Italian “pancetta.” It can be used as pancetta, to cook into a dish, or to bard with.
Smoked Ventrèche
This is not salted. It is made from pork belly after the pork belly has been smoked. If smoked is intended in a recipe, the recipe will call for “ventrèche fumée.”
Cooking Tips
Ventrèche should be considered raw and in need of cooking.
Substitutes
For Salted Ventrèche, unsmoked bacon, salt pork or pancetta. For Smoked Ventrèche, a smoky, streaky bacon.