Jewish Style Carbonara

Here is another recipe “borne of frustration”. Because of the pork meat restriction, we have devised a way to obtain the closest solution to a worthy (and admitted) substitute for the original. Although carbonara purists will cringe, the Roman Jewish carbonara recipe takes a leftward leap beyond the guanciale vs. pancetta diatribe.

In a large pan, brown some thinly sliced onion in some olive oil until translucent. Add chunks of dry beef jerky, seasoning with salt and pepper (be generous with the spice and less with the mineral). Cook your pasta in lightly salted boiling water.

When the jerky has lent its flavor and released its fat, drain the pasta al dente and toss it in the pan with the onion and jerky, blending to coat well, for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the stove and pour in the beaten egg yolk. Make sure to keep tossing and blending your pasta so the egg doesn’t set, rather heats uniformly becoming a creamy sauce.

Plate and serve immediately.

What do you think of this variation?