Bacon

For other uses, see Bacon (disambiguation).

Look up bacon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Uncooked streaky bacon.

Bacon is any of certain cuts of meat taken from the sides, belly or back of a pig that may be cured and/or smoked. Meat from other animals may also be cured or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon, such as beef, lamb, chicken, goat or turkey bacon. In continental Europe, it is used primarily in cubes (lardons) as a cooking ingredient valued both as a source of fat and for its flavour. In Italy, besides being used in cooking, bacon (pancetta) is also served uncooked and thinly sliced as part of an antipasto. Bacon is also used for barding and larding roasts, especially game birds. Many people prefer to have their bacon smoked by using various types of woods or turf. This process can take up to ten hours depending on the intensity of the flavour desired. Bacon may be eaten fried, baked, or grilled.

A side of unsliced bacon is a slab, while an individual slice of bacon is a rasher (United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) or simply a slice or strip (North America).Slices of bacon are also known as collops. Traditionally, the skin is left on the cut and is known as bacon rind. Rindless bacon, however, is quite common. In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, bacon comes in a wide variety of cuts and flavours. In the United States ordinary bacon is only made from the pork belly, yielding what is known in Britain as "streaky bacon", or "streaky rashers". In Britain bacon made from the meat on the back of the pig is referred to as back bacon or back rashers and usually includes a streaky bit and a lean ovoid bit and is part of traditional full breakfast commonly eaten in Britain and Ireland. In the United States, back bacon is called Canadian-style bacon or Canadian bacon but refers usually to the lean ovoid bit.Cattleman\'s Beef Board & National Cattlemen\'s Beef Association. Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards. Retrieved 2007-07-09.

The USDA defines bacon as "the cured belly of a swine carcass," while other cuts and characteristics must be separately qualified (e.g. "smoked pork loin bacon").United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Glossary B. Retrieved 2007-07-09. "USDA Certified" bacon means that it has been treated for trichinella.

Contents 1 In Asia 2 In Mexico 3 Bacon used as a topping 4 Health concerns 5 Nutrients 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

In Asia

Sam Gyeop Sal or 삼겹살

In Korea, one of the most popular cooked meats is grilled unsmoked pork belly called Samgyeopsal (삼겹살), which literally means "three layered flesh". Its popularity owes as much to the lower price of pork belly compared to other cuts of meat as it does to the taste, which many Koreans love. Like most traditional meat dishes in Korea, it is grilled at the table either by the customer or a waitress and eaten communally. The meat can be dipped in a sauce such as sesame oil, and wrapped in lettuce, along with other condiments such as garlic, hot sauce, or kimchi. Usually side dishes of vegetables are served. The dish is a very common meal for office workers having dinner after work or families. Soju is often accompanied.

In Mexico

Bacon is said to be one of the favoured dishes of Quetzalcoatl, an Aztec sky and creator god.^{[citation needed]} Some believe that this Aztec Bacon was actually from the indigenous South American peccary, instead of from the European pig where most other bacon comes from.

Bacon used as a topping

Chili Dogs topped with bacon

In the US and Europe, bacon is often used as a condiment or topping on other foods. Streaky bacon is more commonly used as a topping in the US, on items such as pizza, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, baked potatoes, hot dogs, and soups. Back bacon is used less frequently in the United States, but can sometimes be found on pizza, salads and omelets. Bacon bits are chopped pieces of pre-cooked bacon intended to be sprinkled over foods, particularly salads. Imitation "bacon bits" made of texturized vegetable protein flavoured to resemble authentic bacon bits are also available.

Health concerns

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (February 2008)

A 2007 study by Columbia University suggests a link between eating cured meats, such as bacon, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nitrites were posited as a possible cause. [1]

Nutrients

Select nutritional data from types of bacon in the USDA National Nutrient Database:USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Retrieved 2007-07-12.

	Streaky bacon, raw	Streaky bacon, cooked	Canadian style bacon, cooked	Hormel Canadian Style Bacon
Amount	1 slice	1 slice	2 slices	1 serving
Total Weight (g)	29	8	47	56
Water (g)	3.57 (12%)	0.99 (12%)	29 (62%)	40.85 (73%)
Calories	157	43	87	68
Total Fat (g)	12.12	3.34	3.97	9.45
Saturated Fat (g)	3.984	1.099	1.335	1.025
Cholesterol (mg)	32	9	27	27
Sodium (mg)	670	185	727	569
Protein (g)	10.74	2.96	11.39	9.45

See also

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Bacon

• Pancetta
• Salt pork
• Lard
• Guanciale
• Bacon grease

References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

External links

• Cooking For Engineers - Cooking Tests: Bacon (Part I) | (Part II)
• About.com- History of Bacon Part III
• Bacon Cookies
• Bacon Peanut Brittle
• Bacon Candy

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