Proof God Was Wrong
God must never have tried Tamworth Bacon from La Quercia in Iowa, because there is not a chance in hell it would be forbidden if he/she had. Super sweet, just the right amount of smoke, and a dense, great chew that is perfect for lardons, but also has nice crispness when sliced thin. Sunday Dinner has been using it all over the place. Last week in a rabbit Fricassee and below in a carbonara. Herb and Kathy Eckhouse from La Quercia produce some of our favorite treats, from guanciale to pancetta to prosciutto. Several years ago, I once happened to serve a slice of La Quercia Prosciutto to Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini, who was visiting the Green City Market on a trip from Italy. He had heard we had a local and sustainable prosciutto from Iowa on our egg sandwich that day. He apparently was skeptical about the quality of an American made prosciutto. I handed him a slice and he carefully held it up to the sun, pressed it to his nose, breathed deep, and took a bite. He was quiet, taking his time to eat the slice. He finished, grinned, and said in broken English, "really from Iowa?"