Bacon, a highly seductive meat, originates from a cut of pork from either the side, belly, or back of the pig. These portions of the pig’s anatomy have layers of fat and muscle intertwined; slices, cut as a cross-section, reveal bacon’s alternating lean and fatty character.

Streaky Bacon ( a.k.a. American-style Bacon)

Smoked Slabs of Bacon

Speck, salt cured, aged, highly seasoned

Bacon - Made Salty and Smoky - A dietary staple for centuries, bacon is still salt-cured. The curing is an essential process for the pork’s preservation where freshly cut slabs are soaked in a brine, or dry-cured by packing in salt. Salt curing makes the environment inhospitable for bacteria that would otherwise spoil the meat. Today’s salt-curing processes use less salt than in the past, and place greater reliance on packaging and refrigeration. Smoking bacon also originated as a method for preservation. Smoking may occur at low temperatures or high temperatures. Bacon is optionally smoked, but all bacon is salt-cured.

Types of Bacon – Bacon comes in several different forms based on the cut of pork, type of salt curing, optional smoking, and different aging techniques. Here are some common bacon terms:

Streaky Bacon – A term for bacon made from pork belly and most commonly thought of as common, American-style bacon; the slices have alternating “streaks” of lean and fat.
Slab Bacon – Unsliced, a slab of bacon is a solid chunk and often has the rind still present on one side. A slab of bacon is a useful purchase when a small dice or chunks of bacon are desired for a recipe.
Canadian Bacon – This style of bacon uses the much leaner, loin portion of the pig’s back. Canadian bacon is cured, smoked, and fully cooked. In many respects, it has a character closer to ham than bacon.
Rasher – Rasher is another word for a slice of bacon and is a term more frequently used in the UK.
Pancetta – Italian in origin, pancetta is unsmoked pork belly cured with salt and spices, then aged for about 12 weeks. The meat is often rolled, and is typically sliced very thinly.
Prosciutto – Also Italian in origin, prosciutto is actually a ham that is dry-cured and aged. It is served, uncooked, in very thin slices.
Speck – Another pork product from Italy and Austria, speck is salt-cured, smoked, and very highly seasoned. It, too, is served in very thin slices.
Guanciale – This form of bacon is made from pork jowl. It is a dry-cured Italian meat that is gaining in popularity.

Trends in Artisanal Bacon – Bacon has experienced a renaissance in popularity occasionally reaching cult status. Differences in bacon start with the breed of the pig and what the pig is fed during its growth period. For example, a pig fed a diet with acorns produces a meat described as “creamy.” The meat may be processed with different types of salts possessing unique qualities. Different woods used in smoking produce different flavors in the bacon. The most popular smoking woods for bacon are hickory and applewood. Some bacon features brown sugar or maple syrup for added sweetness.

Crazy over Bacon – Devotees of bacon can join “Bacon of the Month” Clubs, or enjoy bacon with its partner, mayonnaise as “baconnaise.” Bacon has long been enjoyed in a peanut butter sandwich, and now commonly finds itself paired with chocolate. The truly bewitched can obtain bacon-flavored jellybeans, bacon band-aids, bacon dental floss, and even bacon air freshener.

The Skinny on Bacon Fat – Surprisingly, bacon has less saturated fat per gram of fat than butter. But, let’s face it, bacon is not a health food. A steady diet of bacon would not please our healthcare team. But, in MODERATION, bacon may have a role at our tables. For example, bacon crumbles add a lot to a dish as a flavor accent and allows us full flavor and moderation at the same time.