John Myers
Hearty bacon is used in many ways in the kitchen and is a specialty without which a typical snack would be unthinkable. Bacon is mainly made from pork. A distinction is made between the fatter back bacon, streaky bacon, and bacon from the hip.
Origin
Bacon is made from pork, which is the fatty tissue between the skin and muscles. The name goes back to the Old High German word spec and stands for “fat”. Throughout Europe, bacon has been part of (regional) cuisine for centuries and is used both as a cooking ingredient and on its own. The purpose of bacon production was originally to “preserve” meat. Speck retains its quality for several weeks and months if stored correctly, or it only becomes a specialty through storage. The main differences in bacon are back bacon (also fatty bacon), which consists of pure fatty tissue, and belly bacon or streaky bacon, which is made from pork belly streaked with muscle meat. Ham bacon is made from the rump and back of the pork ham and is lower in fat. Raw bacon is offered as green bacon (back bacon) or belly meat (belly bacon) as well as cured, smoked, dried, and cooked.
Season
all year round
Taste
Bacon has a strong, often smoky flavor and, depending on how it’s made, is quite salty. The bacon flavor develops even more intensely when fried.
Use
Bacon is a suitable ingredient for many dishes such as our Hungarian-style Letscho, but it is also a specialty eaten on its own or with bread. Back bacon is primarily used as a refining ingredient for meat dishes, for example for spiking or wrapping lean meat or for making lard. Diced or ground, bacon is also used in sausages, and as bacon in our tarte flambée snails. Belly bacon, like ham and bacon, is often eaten as a cold cut and is part of a hearty snack.
Storage
Vacuum-packed bacon or ham can be stored at a temperature of 4°C to 8°C for up to six months. After opening and slicing, it keeps refrigerated for about 40 days. Larger pieces of bacon should be kept hanging in a cool and dry room – preferably in a cloth bag. It is also best to wrap larger pieces of bacon that are stored in the refrigerator in a cloth. If the cut surface of a cut piece of bacon is covered with parchment paper, the bacon does not dry out too quickly. Shrink-wrapped bacon should be removed from the packaging and refrigerated for a few days before use to allow moisture from vacuum packaging to dry out.
Nutritional value/active ingredients
Depending on the type, bacon has a relatively high content of fat and salt, both of which contribute to flavor and seasoning and can be crucial when preparing other dishes. Bacon should only be eaten in moderation.
