The house rules
The cheek, cured with pepper and rosemary, cut thick enough to keep its shape in the pan. We have had this argument and we are not having it again.
The sauce is egg yolk, pecorino and the water the pasta was cooked in, emulsified off the heat. Anything else is a different dish with a borrowed name.
Sharp, salty, and grated to dust so it melts before it can seize. Parmigiano is a fine cheese for a different plate.
Carbonara has a window of about ninety seconds. We will not hold it while you finish your call, and we say so at the door.
