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National Pork Board

Bacon

Also indexed as: Canadian Bacon, Pancetta, Salt Pork

The bright, pleasing flavor of bacon makes it a favorite ingredient of everything from salads to pasta.

The tangy smell and crackle of bacon sizzling in the pan make it a favorite Sunday breakfast ritual for many Americans. Bacon has a bright, pleasing flavor that is prized not only as a breakfast treat, but also as a flavoring for everything from stews to pasta and salads.

Varieties

American Bacon

American bacon, also called side bacon or, in Britain, streaky bacon, is the bacon most commonly sold sliced and packaged in the supermarket. Bacon is the cured and smoked meat and fat from the belly of the pig. To make bacon, processors inject brine into the pork, then either smoke it or inject smoke flavoring. For sliced bacon, the rind is trimmed from slab bacon and the meat is sliced into 36 pieces per pound for thin-sliced styles, 16 to 20 for regular, and 12 to 16 for thick-sliced. Slab bacon is pork that is still attached to the rind. Side bacon (without the rind) also comes precooked and canned. To achieve the desired crispness when cooked, bacon must have a fat content of one half to two-thirds of its uncooked weight.

Canadian Bacon

Canadian Bacon (called back bacon in Canada) is the cured, smoked, cooked eye of pork loin. It resembles ham more closely than bacon and is much less fatty than American bacon. Canadian bacon comes either in individual slices, or in a cylinder-shaped chunk.

Pancetta

Pancetta is Italian bacon, made from pork that is cured but not smoked. It has a subtler flavor than American sliced bacon and makes a tasty accent in green salads.

Salt Pork

Salt pork is salt-cured but not smoked meat from the belly of a pig. It’s a favorite component in Southern cooking, especially with beans and collard greens.

Buying and storing tips

American bacon shrinks considerably when cooked, as the heat releases much of its high fat content. When purchasing, be aware that a pound of bacon will shrink to about 4 ounces (112g).

Store bacon in the refrigerator. Vacuum-packed bacon, once opened, will keep in the refrigerator for one week. If tightly wrapped, slab bacon keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. Slabs of Canadian bacon keep for up to a week, but slices must be used within three to four days.

Bacon will keep in the freezer for one to two months.

Availability

Bacon and Canadian bacon are commonly available in grocery stores. Ask at the service counter for salt pork. Pancetta is available at butcher shops or specialty markets.

Preparation, uses, and tips

To cook American sliced bacon, lay slices in a cold skillet then turn heat up to medium high. As the bacon begins to shrink and brown, turn it with a fork and make sure the slices lie flat. When the bacon is crisp and brown, remove and drain on a paper towel.

To microwave American sliced bacon, place a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate, arrange slices of bacon on the paper towel, alternate layers of bacon and paper towels, and cook on high 45 to 60 seconds per slice or 15 to 17 minutes per pound (445g).

Canadian bacon is precooked and simply needs to be heated by frying, broiling, or heating in the oven. It is also eaten cold in sandwiches.

Nutritional Highlights

Sliced bacon (cooked, 3 slices),, 2.4 oz. (68.04g)
Calories: 109.4
Protein: 9.4g
Carbohydrate: 0.1g
Total Fat: 5.3g
Fiber: 0.0g