Article Overview: This article dives into what bacon is, where it comes from, and how its made. The article also talks about both the old-fashioned way of making bacon and the modern industrial way.
Bacon has always been a breakfast favorite and a great way to add flavor to many different foods. This versatile red meat will stay popular for a long time because it tastes rich and salty and is crispy and melts in your mouth.
Even for the bacon-lovers among us, you may not know what exactly bacon is and how it’s made. At S. By Clyde Weaver, we’re really interested in tasty cured meats and the old ways of making them, so we’re going to take some time to talk about what makes bacon that tasty meat we all know and love, as well as what the different labels on bacon mean.
We’ll see that not all bacon has the same high quality and great taste that your ancestors used to enjoy, but some companies like S Clyde Weaver are still committed to producing amazing bacon the traditional way.
Bacon has been popular for centuries, especially in the West. Pig breeding used to happen at certain times of the year. For example, piglets were born in the spring and grew fat as they got older until they were ready to be killed at the end of the year. Because pork could be cured to make ham, bacon, and other foods, it was a good and tasty way for families to get through the winter. In spite of modern refrigeration methods, people today still enjoy cured pork, including bacon.
Real bacon is made from pork, but there are some specialty products like turkey bacon that try to look like regular pork bacon. Bacon isn’t limited to a certain cut of meat like some other types of pork you might buy at the butcher or grocery store. The belly, back, or sides of a pig are all good places for bacon—basically anywhere with a lot of fat. In the UK, back bacon is the most common type. In the US, “streaky” bacon, also called side bacon, is more common. It is cut from pork belly.
People could buy pork belly, loin, or sides straight from the pig to cook, or they could buy bacon that hasn’t been cured yet so that people can cure it their own way. You have to cure the meat in a certain way before it can be made into bacon. We’ll go over that process in more detail in a moment.
If you’ve ever cooked a rack of bacon, you may have encountered the occasional bacon bone. These bones add great flavor when simmered in soups or beans. But where exactly do these bones come from on the pig? Let’s take a closer look at the origins of bacon bones.
Primal Pork Cuts Provide Context
To understand where bacon bones are sourced it’s helpful to first look at how pigs are broken down into primal cuts. The major sections are
- Shoulder – Front leg area, includes Boston butt
- Loin – Long back section, contains chops and tenderloin
- Belly – Underside, provides bacon and spare ribs
- Leg – Rear legs, source of ham
The location of the cut affects its composition. Bacon, for instance, comes from the belly.
Bacon Bones Come From the Pork Loin
Bacon bones come specifically from the pork loin primal cut.
The loin runs along the back of the pig, starting from the rear hip and ending around the shoulder blade. It contains part of the backbone and covers the ribs.
When the whole pork loin is cut into roasts, it may include a rib bone section. These bones within pork loin roasts are referred to as bacon bones.
They differ from pork chops, which are cross-cut slices from the loin. Bacon bones are the whole ribs still attached to the loin meat.
Why “Bacon” Bones?
The term “bacon bones” can be confusing, since traditional bacon doesn’t contain bones. Here are some reasons for this distinctive name:
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In British English, any pork from the loin area is considered bacon. So the bones within loin roasts are called bacon bones.
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When the loin is cured and smoked, it makes Canadian bacon, which does contain bones.
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Loin roasts with the ribs attached resemble a full side of bacon, with the bones running lengthwise.
So although bacon bones don’t actually come from standard American bacon, the long shape and loin origins lead to the descriptive name.
Composition and Characteristics
Bacon bones have the following properties:
- Come from the pork loin primal cut
- Are the ribs attached to the loin roast
- Contain marrow within the bones
- Add rich flavor when simmered in dishes
- Bigger than spare ribs and meatier
- Less curved shape than rib bones
They can be meatier than spare ribs since they contain loin and back meat attached. And they tend to be longer and less curved than standalone rib bones.
Uses for Bacon Bones
The main uses for bacon bones include:
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Flavoring soups or beans – Simmer bones to release marrow, minerals, and pork essence into the broth or cooking liquid.
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Making stock – Roast bones then simmer in water for hours to extract flavors and gelatin to make a rich pork stock.
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Stews and braises – Add bones for body, texture, and pork taste.
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Collard greens – Traditional in Southern cooking, the bones enhance the greens.
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Adding texture – The soft marrow and tender meat give more substance.
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Enriching sauce – Puree cooked bacon bones into a savory sauce or gravy.
The gelatin and marrow from long cooking make them ideal for flavoring slow-cooked dishes.
Buying and Preparing Bacon Bones
You can buy packaged bacon bones or save bones from your own roasts. Look for larger ribs with plenty of meat attached.
Before using, rinse bones and remove any scraps of meat for another use. Pat dry. To intensify flavor, roast bones at 400°F for 30 minutes before adding to your dish.
When cooked for a long time, the bones soften enough to cut through with a spoon to scoop out the marrow.
The Takeaway on Bacon Bones
While not from traditional bacon, bacon bones get their name from being the ribs attached to pork loin roasts. These bones contribute tremendous flavor and body to soups, beans, greens, and other braised or simmered dishes. Their size, marrow, and generous meat make them ideal for providing rich, pork-infused taste. Next time you cook a bone-in pork loin, save those bacon bones for later use in your culinary creations.
Hardwood Smoked Bacon
Remember, just because bacon tastes smoky, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was smoked. Most of the time, liquid smoke is added to commercial bacon and heated in an oven to make it taste like smoked bacon without actually smoking it.
If, on the other hand, bacon says “hardwood smoked,” it means it was really smoked over burning hardwood chips in the traditional way. Labels may sometimes say what kind of wood was used, since wood chips of different types can slightly change the taste. Another label you might see is “naturally smoked,” which means the same thing as hardwood smoked. If you’re looking for bonafide bacon, choose hardwood smoked varieties.
The Industrial Bacon-Making Process
Most bacon today is cured through wet curing. A brine is made by mixing traditional curing ingredients like salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, and maybe even some other chemicals or seasonings. The bacon is either placed in the brine to soak or, more commonly, is injected with the brine. It takes a little longer to cure with immersion than with pumping, which is the injection method. After curing, as with dry-cured bacon, the cured bacon can now be smoked for enhanced flavor and preservation.
What’s more common for commercially produced bacon, however, is putting the cured pork into a convection oven. This process takes around six hours or more — much faster than smoking, which can take multiple days. When bacon is heated in an oven rather than smoked, liquid smoke may be added to help the meat achieve a smoky flavor.
Industrial processes of curing bacon result in bacon that is higher in moisture and generally lower in flavor intensity. The added moisture increases the weight of the bacon which, in turn, increases the cost of the bacon. The cost per pound for dry-cured bacon may be higher than commercially-made bacon, but you’re getting more meat and more flavor — not water. Remember, commercial bacon-making methods are aimed at mass production rather than exceptional quality.
You may be wondering what makes the different kinds of bacon you see at the butcher, grocery store, or online store different now that you know how bacon is made. We’ve already learned about two main distinctions — dry curing and wet curing. Remember, though, that most bacon you’ll find is wet-cured, and yet there are still many different kinds. What’s in the cure, how the meat is smoked, and how it’s cut are all things that affect how good the meat is.
Let’s look at 10 types of bacon any bacon connoisseur should recognize and understand.
Most bacon that you buy is already cut into slices, so all you have to do is put the slices in the pan. However, you can buy bacon unsliced. An unsliced section of cured pork belly is known as slab bacon. Slab bacon is typically sold with the rind still on, which you can remove yourself before cooking.
Some recipes call for big pieces of slab bacon, but since bacon is usually cooked in slices, you’ll need to cut it yourself to get the slices you want.
One of the distinctions you’ll find with different types of bacon is the thickness of the slices. There are no regulations for the standard thickness of bacon slices, but most bacon is sliced to around 1/16 of an inch thick. Slices that are thinner or thicker than normal are typically labeled as such.
Even though not many kinds of bacon are called “thin-cut,” you can find thick-cut bacon. This bacon is typically about twice as thick as standard bacon slices. You can make a heartier breakfast with thick-cut bacon, and it’s also easy to cut up and add to dishes like pasta carbonara, green beans, and more.
As we mentioned earlier, bacon isn’t necessarily defined by a specific cut of meat. However, center-cut bacon is. If bacon says “center-cut,” it means it came from the middle of the pork belly, close to the bone. This section is less fatty, so it’s a good option if you’re looking for leaner bacon.
When you fry bacon on the stove and drain off the grease, the lower fat content won’t make a big difference. But it can help when you’re making certain recipes, like appetizers where you wrap something in raw bacon before cooking it and don’t want the appetizers to soak up too much fat.
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FAQ
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