Bacon
Also indexed as: Canadian Bacon, Pancetta, Salt Pork
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National Pork Board
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The bright, pleasing flavor of bacon makes it a favorite ingredient of
everything from salads to pasta.
The tangy smell and crackle of bacon sizzling in the pan make it a favorite Sunday
breakfast ritual for many Americans. Bacon has a bright, pleasing flavor that is prized not
only as a breakfast treat, but also as a flavoring for everything from stews to pasta and salads.
Varieties
American Bacon
American bacon, also called side bacon or, in Britain, streaky bacon, is the bacon most
commonly sold sliced and packaged in the supermarket. Bacon is the cured and smoked meat and
fat from the belly of the pig. To make bacon, processors inject brine into the pork, then
either smoke it or inject smoke flavoring. For sliced bacon, the rind is trimmed from slab
bacon and the meat is sliced into 36 pieces per pound for thin-sliced styles, 16 to 20 for
regular, and 12 to 16 for thick-sliced. Slab bacon is pork that is still attached to the rind.
Side bacon (without the rind) also comes precooked and canned. To achieve the desired
crispness when cooked, bacon must have a fat content of one half to two-thirds of its uncooked
weight.
Canadian Bacon
Canadian Bacon (called back bacon in Canada) is the cured, smoked, cooked eye of pork loin.
It resembles ham more closely than bacon and is much less
fatty than American bacon. Canadian bacon comes either in individual slices, or in a
cylinder-shaped chunk.
Pancetta
Pancetta is Italian bacon, made from pork that is cured but not smoked. It has a subtler
flavor than American sliced bacon and makes a tasty accent in green salads.
Salt Pork
Salt pork is salt-cured but not smoked meat from the belly of a pig. It’s a favorite
component in Southern cooking, especially with beans
and collard greens.
Buying and storing tips
American bacon shrinks considerably when cooked, as the heat releases much of its high fat
content. When purchasing, be aware that a pound of bacon will shrink to about 4 ounces
(112g).
Store bacon in the refrigerator. Vacuum-packed bacon, once opened, will keep in the
refrigerator for one week. If tightly wrapped, slab bacon keeps for several weeks in the
refrigerator. Slabs of Canadian bacon keep for up to a week, but slices must be used within
three to four days.
Bacon will keep in the freezer for one to two months.
Availability
Bacon and Canadian bacon are commonly available in grocery stores. Ask at the service
counter for salt pork. Pancetta is available at butcher shops or specialty markets.
Preparation, uses, and tips
To cook American sliced bacon, lay slices in a cold skillet then turn heat up to medium
high. As the bacon begins to shrink and brown, turn it with a fork and make sure the slices
lie flat. When the bacon is crisp and brown, remove and drain on a paper towel.
To microwave American sliced bacon, place a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate, arrange
slices of bacon on the paper towel, alternate layers of bacon and paper towels, and cook on
high 45 to 60 seconds per slice or 15 to 17 minutes per pound (445g).
Canadian bacon is precooked and simply needs to be heated by frying, broiling, or heating
in the oven. It is also eaten cold in sandwiches.
Nutritional Highlights
Sliced bacon (cooked, 3 slices), 2.4 oz.
(68.04g)
Calories: 109.4
Protein: 9.4g
Carbohydrate: 0.1g
Total Fat: 5.3g
Fiber: 0.0g
The information presented in this website is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
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