Bacon makes the world go ’round. OK, not really, but it definitely makes our mouths water. Let’s learn more about the different types of bacon and how to use it for recipe magic.
Savory pieces of bacon are a beloved food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why not learn more about it? There are different kinds and ways to use them in recipes all over the world. What kinds of pork are used for each style? Try some new ones at your next meal. This guide will expand your bacon repertoire!.
What’s great about bacon is that it can stand up to sweet and savory dishes. Hence, we eat bacon with our pancakes drenched in maple syrup and use it to wrap chicken. You can eat slices that are cooked until they are crispy to finish off a meal or add them to pasta, salads, soups, and sandwiches to make them taste better. It’s versatile and adds a ton of undeniable flavor.
This is the bacon you’d picture next to a short stack of pancakes or a few eggs if someone asked you to describe a typical American breakfast. It’s also referred to as streaky bacon or side bacon.
You can easily cook the long, thin strips of fatty, smoked pork belly on the stove or in the oven until they are crispy or chewy, depending on your taste. It comes from the belly of the pig and makes a lot of rich greases that can be used to cook and bake with.
If you already cook with bacon and use it in various ways, you might try purchasing slab bacon. That’s right. You can buy a real piece of bacon, but you might have to go to a farmer’s market or a butcher in your area.
Essentially, it’s just American-style bacon before it’s sliced. When you buy it this way, you can choose how thick or thin to cut the bacon based on what you’re cooking. It’s great to cut into chunky lardons for soups, stews, and beef bourguignon.
Unlike American-style bacon, Canadian bacon is made from pork loin. Since it doesn’t have as much marbling, it won’t render as much fat and grease, but it tastes great in Denver omelets, ham and cheese quiche, and other breakfast foods like eggs benedict. It’s also the co-star of sweet and savory slices of Hawaiian pizza. You’ll notice that it’s sold in thicker round slices rather than long strips.
Like American-style bacon, pancetta is an Italian cured pork belly. However, pancetta is not cured and smoked (Amerian-style bacon is). It’s usually sold in small, prechopped cubes. Often used to make pasta carbonara.
You can also find it at the deli counter, where the butcher can produce thin slices. This is great if you want to wrap it around other meat or vegetables before cooking, like shrimp wrapped in bacon or asparagus wrapped in bacon.
Italian cured bacon made from pig cheeks. It has a vibrant and savory flavor due to its high-fat content. It’s seasoned with salt and herbs like black pepper, rosemary, spicy red pepper, or garlic. It’s aged for about 3 months, resulting in a very salty flavor similar to pancetta or American bacon.
The meat is soft and buttery in texture. It’s harder to find sources in the United States due to import restrictions from Italy. It can be baked, sautéed with beans or bitter greens like kale, or pan-fried to make pasta dishes like carbonara and amatriciana more flavorful.
Also referred to as British bacon or back bacon, it differs from American-style bacon in a few ways. American bacon is often smoked, but this bacon doesn’t come from the belly like Canadian bacon does. Instead, it comes from the loin. However, it has a little more fat than Canadian bacon. Serve buttery toast, eggs, grilled mushrooms, or beans.
Irish bacon is similar to British bacon (aka rashers) but slightly less fatty and leaner. It’s cured and cuts into rounds, like a thick slice of pork loin. It’s delicious to cook for breakfast with fried eggs or for lunch with homemade mashed potatoes or rice.
A type of smoke-cured bacon that still has the rind. It’s popular meat to purchase in German or Hungarian stores. Usually, it’s cooked over an open flame so that the meat and fat under the skin can really taste good. It’s seasoned with paprika and garlic and great to enjoy at a campfire. Served with fresh vegetables, rye bread, or add to soups and stews.
For those looking for a lower-in-fat pork bacon alternative, grab a package of turkey bacon. The chicken is seasoned, cut up, and shaped into strips. Set proteins are often smoked to make the meat easy to slice and give it a smokey flavor. It’s highly processed, so check the labels for sodium levels. If you can find it, duck bacon is a variety to try.
Bacon has secured its place as one of the most beloved breakfast foods of all time. From crispy strips on a sandwich to crumbled bits in a salad, it’s a versatile meat that adds flavor to many dishes. But the world of bacon extends far beyond the standard grocery store slab. Among the many specialty varieties is one labeled “market-style” – but what exactly does this mean? Let’s slice into the details of this increasingly popular bacon and find out what makes it distinct.
Defining Characteristics of Market-Style Bacon
Market-style bacon, sometimes labeled “butcher’s cut” bacon, comes from the pork belly just like traditional bacon However, it has a few key differences
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Cut – Market-style bacon is cut thicker, resulting in wider slices compared to streaky bacon. Pieces are typically 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
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Meat-to-Fat Ratio – It contains a higher proportion of meat and less fat marbling between layers. This gives it a more substantial, steak-like texture.
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Color – Market-style bacon has a darker, reddish-pink color rather than the pale pink of regular bacon. This comes from extended cold smoking.
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Flavor – The prominent meaty taste comes through over the smokiness. It has a richer, more robust flavor overall.
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Packaging – Found at butcher shops, delis, and specialty grocers instead of typical supermarkets.
A Brief History of Market-Style Bacon
Curing pork belly into bacon has been done for centuries across many cultures. American-style streaky bacon emerged in the 1800s when meatpacking companies began mass producing thinner-sliced, mildly smoked bacon. This became the standard for supermarkets nationwide.
But some small, local butchers continued preparing bacon in thicker slabs with more emphasis on the pork flavor rather than just smokiness. Customer demand led to certain specialty meat shops and delis offering this heartier bacon, marketed as “market-style” or “butcher’s cut” to differentiate from the mainstream bacon. It developed a following among bacon connoisseurs who enjoyed the robust meatiness it provided.
Over time, market-style bacon gained wider availability as small-scale producers partnered with grocery stores to offer this upscale bacon option beyond just butcher shops. It provides a premium alternative to regular bacon, appealing to foodies and bacon enthusiasts.
Tasting Notes on the Flavor Profile
The flavor profile of market-style bacon stands out from typical thin-sliced bacon in a few key ways:
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Meatiness – The pronounced pork flavor shines through thanks to the higher ratio of meat to fat. Less smoky than regular bacon.
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Heartiness – Thicker cut gives it a steak-like, hearty texture with nice chew. Satisfying meaty bites.
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Saltiness – Curing process leaves a pleasant saltiness that enhances the meaty taste. Not overpowering.
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Smokiness – Light smoky notes complement but don’t overwhelm the bacon-y flavor. More balanced than regular bacon.
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Richness – Higher fat content than ham but less than streaky bacon. Provides rich, savory flavor.
Overall, market-style bacon could be described as robust, meaty, and hearty but with a refined flavor balance lacking in typical thin-cut bacon. The prominence of pork flavor pairs well with many ingredients.
Cooking Techniques for Market-Style Bacon
Market-style bacon’s thick cut means it requires some special care when cooking:
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Oven Bak – Bake at 400°F for 18-24 minutes, flipping halfway.Provides even cooking.
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Pan Fry – Cook over medium-low, rendering fat slowly. Higher heat risks burning.
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Grill – Gets nice char marks when grilled over indirect heat. Rotate for even cooking.
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Microwave – Not recommended. Makes it tough and dry.
The main keys are using gentle, indirect heat and frequently flipping and rotating to prevent any scorching. This allows the fat to render slowly so the bacon stays tender and juicy. Properly cooked market-style bacon has a lightly crispy exterior with a moist, meaty interior.
Incorporating Market-Style Bacon into Recipes
Beyond breakfast, market-style bacon works beautifully in all sorts of dishes thanks to its thicker cut, hearty texture, and big bacon flavor. Here are some tasty ways to use it:
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Dice up bits for salads, soups, chilis – adds delicious bacon flavor.
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Wrap around steak filets, chicken breasts, or meatloaf for added richness.
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Chop into lardons and cook into stir-frys, pasta dishes, and risottos.
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Use in place of ham in dishes like scalloped potatoes for extra bacon goodness.
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Skewer chunks with pineapple and shrimp for a bacon kabob.
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Substitute for Canadian bacon in Eggs Benedict for a heartier version.
With its refined flavor and crisp yet tender texture, market-style bacon can elevate so many recipes beyond just breakfast fare. Explore using it in unexpected ways to appreciate the uniqueness of this specialty bacon.
Where to Source Authentic Market-Style Bacon
Since it’s not a mainstream grocery store staple, finding true, high-quality market-style bacon requires seeking out certain suppliers:
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Butcher Shops and Meat Markets – The traditional source for market-style bacon. Support local butchers!
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Specialty Food Stores – Upscale grocers like Whole Foods often carry market-style bacon options.
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Online Mail Order – Niman Ranch, FreshDirect, and other specialty purveyors offer mail order.
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Farmer’s Markets – Look for small-scale local pork producers selling homemade bacon.
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Crowd Cow – This online company partners with niche meat suppliers across the U.S.
Searching out authentic sources ensures you get the real deal when it comes to market-style bacon. The end result is thick-cut slices of bacon perfection with the ideal balance of meaty decadence and subtle smoky flavor.
So now that you know exactly what sets market-style bacon apart, you can seek it out and incorporate its unique heartiness into all sorts of meaty dishes. Look beyond the standard thin-sliced strips to a whole new bacon experience in each satisfying bite of market-style goodness.
What’s the difference between center-cut and regular bacon?
Center-cut bacon contains about 25 to 30% less fat than uncooked, standard-cut bacon. The fatty ends of the bacon strips are trimmed off, leaving you with shorter strips. When cooked, the taste is similar to regular bacon. You are paying a comparable price for less fat.
American bacon thickness types
- Standard-cut bacon is about 1/16-inch thick. It is also known as regular, classic, or average bacon. This gives the light and crispy pieces.
- Thick-cut bacon is about 1/8-inch thick, which is twice as thick as regular bacon.
- Extra thick-cut bacon is about 1/4-inch thick. These give a chewier, more hearty texture.
Alternatively, Restaurant bacon is about 1/32-inch thick. This cooks up very quickly into very thin, crispy strips that are great for restaurants, hotels, and diners that need to serve food quickly. The thickness of the different bacon cuts varies by brand.
Bacon Review – How To Buy The BEST Bacon At The Store…And What To Avoid!
FAQ
What is the tastiest cut of bacon?
What is really thick bacon called?
What’s the difference between center cut bacon and regular bacon?
What is American-style bacon?
American-style bacon, distinct for its streaky mix of fat and meat, is perhaps the most universally popular variety of bacon in the world and is the form with which most people are familiar.
What does American bacon taste like?
Characteristics: American-style bacon is fatty, and it creates a lot of grease when it’s cooked. Part of the Pig: American-style bacon comes from the belly and sides of the pig, which have high fat contents. Flavor Profile: Due to the high fat content, this type of bacon crisps up well, resulting in a crunchy texture and a salty and smoky flavor.
What is streaky bacon?
Other regions will refer to this fatty slice as streaky bacon or side bacon. Cut in strips, thick or thin-cut, this bacon is made from the belly of the pig, cured, and smoked. It’s obvious where the term streaky comes from: The slices of meat from this part of the animal are striped with fat and muscle, giving it that streaky look.
What does Canadian bacon taste like?
Flavor Profile: Due to the high fat content, this type of bacon crisps up well, resulting in a crunchy texture and a salty and smoky flavor. Characteristics: Canadian bacon is leaner than American-style bacon, so it’s a healthier option. Part of the Pig: Canadian bacon comes from the back and loin area of the pig.