The Vanishing Bacon Rind: Why Modern Bacon is Rindless

Crispy, smoky bacon is a beloved breakfast staple across America But bacon lovers of a certain age may have noticed a subtle change in store-bought bacon over the years – the disappearance of the rind Traditional slab bacon once had a hearty rind of fat on the edges. Now the meat is uniformly lean and boneless. So where did the rind go and why don’t we see it on commercial bacon today?

What is Bacon Rind?

First it helps to understand what the rind actually is. On a side of cured pork belly, the rind is the outermost layer of hard fat and skin on the edges. Think of it as the bacon equivalent of a pork rind. When the belly is sliced into strips, two thin strips of rind remain on the longer edges of each piece.

This rind served both form and function. It held the strips together in one intact slice. It also became deliciously crispy when fried, adding texture and porky richness. The smoky rind bumped up the meaty flavors.

The Heyday of Rind-On Bacon

From the 1800s through the mid-20th century, most bacon was sold in slab form with the rind intact. Households would slice their own bacon as needed, leaving the rind on the edges. Commercial bacon also kept the rind. This was simply the standard way bacon was produced, sold, and prepared for generations of breakfast eaters.

The rind was considered an integral part of the bacon experience. Leaving it on preserved the structural integrity of the strips. The satisfying crunch and concentrated porkiness it added were hallmarks of bacon enjoyment.

When and Why Rindless Became the Norm

The switch to predominantly rindless bacon seems to have happened in the 1950s and 60s alongside wider changes in meat production and consumption patterns. Some key factors that made rind fall out of favor:

• Newer high-speed slicing machines worked better on boneless slabs.

• Uniform lean strips cooked more evenly than rind-on cuts.

• Thinner cuts became more popular as bacon became a quick breakfast food rather than long-cooked side dish.

• Trends toward low-fat diets made the extra fat unappealing.

• Pre-cooked and pre-portioned bacon eliminated the need to slice your own.

• Commercial packaging and stacking worked better without rinds.

• Marketing leaned into the uniformity and modernity of rindless bacon.

By the 1970s, rindless bacon had become the new normal. Generations grew up not realizing bacon had once looked different.

The Case for Bringing Back the Bacon Rind

While standard, rindless bacon may rule today, some people believe restoring the rind could improve modern bacon. Advocates argue:

• It would add back tasty texture and fat that enhance flavor.

• Preserving the slab shape better supports the meat.

• Seeing rind cues proper slicing direction and thickness.

• Traditional curing methods made the rind extra tasty.

• Celebrity chefs featuring old-timey rind-on bacon increase appeal.

• Its suited to artisan production rather than mass commercial plants.

While large companies are unlikely to change their bacon designs, some small specialty producers are exploring revived rind-on options. This niche market caters to bacon purists, whole-hog butchering, and the return to traditional charcuterie.

For now, most shoppers remain accustomed to the ubiquitous rindless bacon. But if enough eaters rediscover the joys of the bacon rind, it could make a modest comeback on a small scale. In the traditional food world, everything old becomes new again eventually.

While largely forgotten today, the modest bacon rind once played an important role in protecting, slicing, and boosting the flavor of everyone’s favorite breakfast treat. Its near disappearance reflects how convenience, mass production, and health trends reshaped our food system.

Yet the bacon rind remains a core part of bacon history and heritage. Perhaps in time, select producers will revive rind-on bacon for those craving nostalgia along with their morning meat. This little piece of porky history proves even the simplest food scraps can tell a fascinating story of changing tastes and diet over the decades.