Bacon

Bacon is a cut of meat taken from the sides, back and/or belly of a pig. However, you can also get other types of bacon from other animals, such as chicken and turkey. Pork bacon is the most commonly used and is part of the traditional breakfast meal. Bacon can be used to provide lard for other types of cooking, such as layering a roast of meat or a turkey with two or three strips of bacon before placing it in the oven.

When you go to the supermarket to shop for groceries, you can buy sliced bacon in packages. You can also buy slabs of bacon that you cut off in rashers on your own according to your own taste of thickness. There are a variety of cuts and flavours, such as smoked bacon or maple bacon.

In the UK, there are generally three types of bacon – streaky, back and middle. Streaky bacon comes from the belly of the pig and is streaked with white fat. It has a higher concentration of fat than the other two types. It is perfect for frying because the rashers fry up really crispy. However, it is not the best kind to use if you want to make sandwiches because of this crispiness. Back bacon has less fat and is the kind most commonly used for rolls and butties. It comes from the loin of the pig. In the US, this is referred to as Canadian bacon. Middle bacon is streaky as well, but is becoming less common with butchers and supermarkets in the UK.

All bacon is cured and salt is the main ingredient in this process. This is because salt applied to the cut of bacon prevents any microrganisms from growing on the meat. Smoking is another method and nitrates can be added to help preserve the pink colour of the bacon. There are also two ways of curing bacon – wet and dry.

For dry curing, you will need at least 2 kg of salt. You can add other ingredients, such as saltpetre, sugar and black peppercorns if you wish. You simply mix the ingredients together and rub the mixture into the front and back of the slab of bacon. Use generous portions of the mixture and make sure the bacon is well covered. Place it in a plastic box with a cover and store it in a cool dry place. Once a day, you have to remove the meat from the container and pour off the liquid that has accumulated. Rub more of the mixture into the bacon each time as well. After four or five days the bacon will be cured. Soak it in fresh, clean water and then dry it until a pellicle forms on the surface. You should hang the bacon to dry for about 24 to 48 hours.

Wet curing also involves the use of salt and any flavouring you might want to add. Some people add such things as spices and beer. You have to boil the ingredients and then pour the mixture into the container you intend to use for the curing process. Allow the brine to cool to about 2 to 4 º and then add the meat where it will stay for the duration of the curing process. Allow 24 hours for the first 2 kg of bacon and 12 hours for each additional kg as a guide for the length of time. When you take the bacon out of the brine, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and hang it to dry for 24 hours.

There is a large selection of Vegetarian & Vegan bacons on the market which is a much more healthy option and they are very tasty. You can cook it by grilling, frying and it is great in a BLT sandwich.