Bacon

Put some sizzle on your plate with a few bacon tips

Best to buy
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 (112 grams).

Store it safely
Refrigerate vacuum-packed bacon for up to one week.

Quick & easy recipe
To cook American sliced bacon, lay slices in a cold skillet and 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.


Also indexed as: American Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Pancetta, Salt Pork

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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.

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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 a few 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.

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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 grocer. 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 flavouring. 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 tinned. 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 flavour than American sliced bacon and makes a flavoursome accent in green salads.

Salt Pork

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

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Nutrition Highlights

Bacon (cooked, 3 slices), .85 oz. (24g)
Calories: 103
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrate: 0g
Total Fat: 8g
Fiber: 0g
*Good source of: Niacin (2.11mg), Phosphorus (101.27mg), and Selenium (11.78mcg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

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