How about pancetta? That’s what I use for carbonara, I think it is just salt-cured pork belly.
Yeah, it’s just salt-cured pork belly. Good stuff!
I’ve got a magnet on my fridge that sums up my philosophy.
If bacon is WRONG
I don’t want to be RIGHT
I’ve mentioned this several times in these threads, but I’m a fan of Hempler’s “European Style” bacon:
All the bacon flavor, but a lot less fat. Yes, that’s a minus if you’re cooking enough bacon to be able to recover the remainder as a wonderful cooking fat, but a big plus if you want a more meaty bacon, that is nearly perfectly sized for a burger or breakfast sandwich.
Since I’m the only meat-eater in my household, I tend to buy appropriate to my singular needs, YMMV of course.
I’ve lost any enjoyment of American-style cured bacon. It’s just too much a single-note “cured” flavor for me to appreciate anymore. Instead, I like pork belly prepared the Korean way: thick-sliced into wide cuts, and uncured. Best cooked over a small grill, then eaten immediately off the grill with some leafy greens. There’s also some sauces that are traditionally added, but good, well-prepared meat needs nothing.
A tragic side story: I once had two pounds of thick-sliced pork belly and decided to cook it all at once on the full-size grill. The slices were spread out and cooking nicely. The fat dripping on the smoke bars smelled wonderful! But then it started flaring, so I turned down the gas. But it was too late… Even with the gas turned off, the fat burning on the smoke bars was producing enough heat to melt more fat. My two pounds of pork belly became two pounds of pork candles. A total loss, although it smelled divine–I likely propitiated several deities that day.
In a pinch. A hard pinch. There’s canned bacon.
First off the price will pinch you.
Second: It’s Nasty.
Try some Bucatini all’Amatriciana if you’ve got some leftover guanciale. It’s basically pork, onions and tomatoes. And it’s spectacular.
Personally I’m partial to homemade bacon. You basically get a pork belly, cure it in a combination of salt, sugar, and sodium nitrite, and then smoke until it’s about 150 internal.
How to make and cure your own bacon at home - Jess Pryles
If you go with a saltbox method like she does above, it can be too salty, so you end up cooking it in some water for a bit, then draining it off and cooking it like normal.
If you go with an equilibrium cure, it’s a bit more exacting, but it’s properly salty without needing to worry.
Bacon sous vide is very interesting. Not as fatty as other cooking methods.
Sous vide at 145°F overnight - right in the original packaging.
As soon as cool enough to handle, clip corner of package and drain bacon fat into jar. Fat will be clear and excellent for later use.
Refrigerate bacon & fat until needed.
Crisp in fry pan, 60s per side and serve.
Use to wrap asparagus etc for baking. Bacon will be nicely crisp when asparagus is done.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try.
It’s one of those dishes where it’s so simple that the ingredients really matter, just FYI.
Thick-cut.
In the oven.
Only way to go.
I endorse this statement! I made my own guanciale years back and the first dish I made with it was amatraciana. Really great dish to showcase jowl. A good bit of freshly grated pecorino romano for a little extra salt and funk and I’m in heaven!
If you wanna get even more basic, there’s pasta alla gricia, which is like amatraciana without the tomato.
I love me some “salt pork” bacon.
It’s a small hunk o’ pork, salt cured. You can get it peppered.
You rinse it and dry it good.
Slice and fry it nice and slow.
You come out with short pieces, biscuit sized…the pan you’ve tried it in makes a good start to a red eye gravy.
Where’s the biscuits?
Although most people use the pork belly, I’ve been on a kick lately to brine up “bacon” using the jowl meat. Lots of fat (flavor), and once it’s smoked, it’s a super flavorful addition to a pot of black beans. You can also take this cut to the Italian delicacy called “guanciale,” but I didn’t think it was worth the time and effort. Most of what we consume is pan-fried or microwaved. For big groups, about the only choice for home cooks is oven broiling.
This is a bit of a hijack, since the OP specified bacon, but I must reply in the interest of fighting ignorance:
Both pork shoulder and pork butt do come from the pig’s shoulder, but pork butt is from the upper shoulder, is higher in fat, and is best for making pulled pork. Pork shoulder is from the lower shoulder, is leaner, and is what you’d use for making a roast with cracklin’. Both should be cooked to an internal temp of 190-205F to render the fat and collagen. Otherwise you’re going to have extremely tough, chewy meat.
Depends where you are, I think. The groceries I go to will sometimes label butt as shoulder. The other part is the picnic or picnic ham. For me, shoulder = butt + picnic.
True, definitions can be squishy. The important takeaway, I believe, is that any meat from the pig’s actual shoulder should be cooked to an internal temp of 190-205F to render the fat and collagen. 160F is much too low. Safe to eat, of course, but it will be so chewy as to be practically inedible, I think.
Agreed, though I prefer mine chopped (not pull- or shredable) at 185-190-ish. (A little lower if I want it sliceable). Regardless, well over 160. But you gotta let that collagen render!
You are absolutely correct on both counts. I borked that big time - I really shouldn’t post comments with details until I’ve had my first cup of coffee.
My favorite kind.