Various Types of Bacon for All Your Salty and Smoky Needs
Bacon is a rare meat so beloved that we add it to both sweet and savory dishes. Both the traditional and pork-free varieties offer a rich, salty and smoky flavor, as well as a crunchy or chewy texture that we just can’t get enough of.
So let’s top it all off with bacon! Here are some of the most popular bacon options (including vegan ones) and why each is a special salty snowflake worthy of a spot in your refrigerator.
streaky bacon
Where I’m from (USA) it’s just called bacon. In other regions, this fatty cut will be called streaky bacon or side bacon. Cut into strips, thick or thin, this bacon is made from pork belly, cured and smoked. Where the term “striped” comes from is obvious: the pieces of meat from this part of the animal are covered in fat and muscle, giving it a striped appearance. Depending on where the bacon is cut, the fat composition can vary from 45% to 70%.
Store-bought streaky bacon can be cut into thick slices (about 1/4 inch thick) or thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick) to give it a different texture once cooked. Some stores even sell pulled pork belly in chunks, allowing you to cut your own bacon to the desired thickness.
Unsmoked bacon
I associate bacon with a smoky flavor, and while most bacon in the US is smoked, it doesn’t have to be . Unsmoked bacon may be called salt pork or green bacon. Although it’s more popular in the UK and Ireland, you can still find different forms of unsmoked bacon under different names in the US (I’ll cover them later). Whatever the name, unsmoked bacon is great cut into small pieces to add salt and fat to dishes, and can also be cooked in larger slices for a chewier texture.
Unbaked bacon
Uncooked bacon is a bit of a misnomer. It’s still cured. Before smoking, bacon is usually soaked in a brine (although it can be dry brined with the same ingredients without the water), and the brine usually includes synthetic nitrites and nitrates. Instead, “raw” bacon is treated with natural nitrites found in celery powder. As Lifehacker senior editor Beth Skwarecki writes in this article about other misleading food labels : “Oddly enough, labeling regulations require celery-soaked bacon to be labeled as ‘uncooked.’ He is still cured.
Canadian bacon
Much less fatty and more rounded in shape, Canadian bacon is cut not from the belly of the pig, but from its loin. While this cut may include some fatty brisket, the texture and flavor are closer to ham than streaky belly bacon. Even though it’s a different cut of pork, I’m including it in this list because I think this issue requires clarification. Canadian bacon is still typically marinated and smoked, but the flavor is much less intense than streaky bacon. Canadian bacon has a less salty, less smoky and slightly sweet taste. Its low fat content makes it ideal for making dishes that are chewy or tender rather than crispy and brittle.
Pancetta
I told you we’d have more unsmoked bacon. Pancetta is Italian bacon that is brined and smoked, but not smoked. The most noticeable difference (and a fun change from boring straight-sliced pork belly) is the fact that the wide, flat part of the belly is often rolled up and tied tightly. The resulting giant pork tube is then thinly sliced to create a meaty curl. However, pancetta is usually sold in large cubes at my local grocery store. I usually toss the pieces into the pan to cook off the fat and flavor for use in larger dishes. Pancetta has all the saltiness of bacon without the smoke.
Lardons
While Canadian bacon is for lovers of lean, salty pork, lard is for people who appreciate those strips of fat. Lard can be cut from pork belly or back, which is, unsurprisingly, fattier. Typically cubed or large rectangles, they can be made from smoked bacon or unsmoked salt pork. You don’t have to buy lard; You can make them by simply cutting the bacon widthwise to create lots of fatty bacon matchsticks. Roast them in a pan and use them as a crunchy addition to a salad, to start a hearty soup recipe, or as a topping for a casserole.
Alternative meat bacon
Not a pork fan? You can cook turkey or duck like pork bacon and the results will be delicious. Turkey bacon is typically made by processing the turkey meat and turning it into a piece that can be cut into thin slices to imitate sliced bacon. Duck already has thick, oily skin, so duck bacon is often trimmed from the breast to include a strip of that fat. Both can be cured and smoked to impart a rich, bacon-like flavor.
Vegan bacon
The existence of vegan bacon is proof of how much of bacon’s appeal comes from the salt and smoke, although a crispy, chewy texture doesn’t hurt either. There are store-bought varieties of soy and tempeh bacon, but you can make your own plant-based bacon from thinly sliced carrots , or use this wild recipe to make banana peel bacon . The key is to infuse the plant strips with plenty of scent. While salt and umami can be taken care of with a few healthy friends (MSG, soy sauce, and good old salt), you should also grab a bottle of liquid smoke from the grocery store. This is usually placed next to the barbecue sauce and will greatly help your efforts.