Secret Sauce 02 - Miles Mercer

Ciao and welcome to secret sauce presented by Companion Bakes. My name is Miles Mercer. I am an amateur DJ/Italian chef and I am excited to present to you the method behind one of my favorite dishes as well as an hour long mix to listen to while you prepare it for yourself.

The dish we will be making today is one I have prepared more than any other dish in my life - Bucatini all'Amatriciana. I use the term "method" because this is by no means a recipe in the traditional sense. I have learned how to make this dish through understanding its main few ingredients as well as a lot of trial and error. I encourage you to explore this same kind of experimentation in your journey to understanding this Italian classic.

Amatriciana is one of the 4 main Roman pasta dishes, the other 3 being Cacio e Pepe, Alla Gricia, and Carbonara. I like to think of these 4 sauces as a sort of flow chart, starting with Cacio e Pepe at the top consisting of the simple combination of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano reggiano cheeses as well as black pepper.

Once we add pork fat into the mix we have All Gricia. You can add egg to that and its Carbonara OR add tomato to make Amatriciana — the dish we are preparing tonight.

To get started we are going to need a few simple ingredients.

First off cheese. Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Pork fat. In order of preference Guanciale which is cured pork jowl, Pancetta which is cured pork belly, or slab bacon…you know what that is. They will all get the job done, but the first two will leave you with a more authentic finished product.

1 - 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes.

Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and a pound of bucatini.

In terms of quantity of each, I tend to operate on the rules of quarters.

1/4 pound of pound of pasta, 1/4 pound of pound of pork fat, and 1/4 pound of pound of grated cheese + a quarter can of tomatoes per person. Easy, right?

To start: Put on a pot of water to boil. Next, take your chosen pork fat and chop it up into very small chunks.

Once the water is boiling, salt it heavily and put the bucatini in and cook for around 7-8 minutes. While the pasta cooks, add the pork fat to a saucepan with some olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook it until it's fully crispy and the fat is fully rendered.

What happens next is probably the most important part of the process. When the fat is fully rendered and is so hot that it's just on the brink of smoking, add the tomatoes to the pan. The fat should be so hot that the tomatoes begin to disintegrate on contact with it, creating a sort of caramelizing effect. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash the remaining bits of tomato and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.

When the pasta is just shy of al dente, remove it from the heat and with a pair of tongs, lift it from the water into the saucepan. Then, add a ladle of pasta water to the pan as well as a handful of cheese. Combine everything over high until the sauce begins to coat the noodle, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and let set for a couple of minutes before adding to a warmed bowl. Top with fresh ground pepper, dried chili flakes if you like a little kick, as well as much additional grated cheese as you prefer.

There you have it, buon appetito. I could spend the whole evening talking about the magic of La Cucina Italiana, but it's probably time we get to the music...