Bacon - buying, storing and cooking
Bacon is pork meat prepared using one of two methods: dry or wet. It is sold in large chunks or cut into thin slices. Dry-cured bacon is salted and flavored. Wet-cured bacon is soaked in a brine of water and salt. After soaking, bacon producers add the brine to the meat to make it heavier and more substantial. When cut, wet-cured bacon produces a cloudy yellow liquid, and when fried, it will not be as crispy as dry-cured bacon.
Types of bacon
Bacon comes in smoked and unsmoked varieties. The latter is considered healthier, as it's softer and has a more natural color. Bacon can be lean (from the back of the animal, considered the healthiest and most expensive), streaky (from the belly, the fattiest and tastiest), or mixed (both lean and fatty in one piece). Bacon is never eaten raw.Read a detailed article about types of bacon.
How to buy bacon?
Good, fresh bacon looks pink and moist. If the meat is any other color or is dry, don't buy it. The fat should be white or creamy, but not yellow. If the meat smells bad or feels wet or slimy, it has spoiled and shouldn't be purchased.Storage
Bacon should be stored in the refrigerator so it doesn't come into contact with anything that's eaten fresh. Use-by dates are usually listed on the packaging, which should only be opened when you're ready to cook the meat. If you have leftover bacon after using it, wrap it in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and then store it in an airtight plastic container.
High-quality bacon is sold in parchment packaging. Unsmoked bacon has a shelf life of 7 days, while smoked bacon has a shelf life of 10 days. Sliced bacon has a shelf life of 3 days. Vacuum-sealed bacon can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Preparation
Bacon can be boiled or fried. A pound of bacon boils for 20 minutes, while frying the same amount takes half an hour. Let the meat cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Bacon slices can be grilled or pan-fried. They cook quickly, requiring only 2-3 minutes of frying on each side.Bacon is a staple of the classic English breakfast. It's also used in other dishes. Meat or fish is wrapped in bacon slices, then fried and eaten as is, or cut into pieces and used in carbonara pasta with a creamy sauce.
Bacon, cut into small cubes or strips, is added to pea soup, fried, and served with scrambled eggs. Boiled bacon is delicious with boiled potatoes, beans, and parsley sauce.
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