Bacon

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A little history

Bacon’s history dates back thousands of years to 1500 B.C. in which the Chinese were curing pork bellies with salt, creating an early form of bacon, although pigs were domesticated in China in 4900 B.C. and were also being raised in Europe by 1500 B.C. Speculation exists that the Romans and Greeks learned bacon production and curing through conquests in the Middle East. The Romans improved pig breeding and spread pork production throughout their empire.

The Ancient Romans also had an early version of bacon, which they called “petaso,” a shoulder of pig boiled with dried figs, browned, and served with wine. Throughout the Medieval Times, bacon and bacon fat were very important ingredients used by Anglo-Saxon peasants for cooking.

Pigs came to North America through several means.

  • Christopher Columbus brought 8 pigs to Cuba at the insistence of Queen Isabella.
  • Hernando de Soto brought 13 pigs to Tampa Bay in 1539. According to the National Pork Board, Native Americans reportedly became very fond of the taste of pork, resulting in some of the worst attacks on the de Soto expedition. By the time of de Soto’s death three years later, his pig herd had grown to 700 head, not including the ones his troops had consumed, those that ran away and became wild pigs (and the ancestors of today’s feral pigs or razorbacks), and those given to the Native Americans to keep the peace. The pork industry in America had begun.
  • An influx of pigs from England came during the 1600s.

Why do we call it “bacon?”

The word “bacon” may have come from various sources, particularly from the French word “bako,” the common Germanic “bakkon,” and the Old Teutonic word “backe,” all of which refer to the back of the pig, and date back before the 12th century. In the 16th Century, the word “bacoun” or bacon was used to refer to any kind of pork. It was only in the 17th Century that “bacon” was used to refer exclusively to the salted and smoked belly that we know today as bacon. In Yorkshire and Tamworth, there were breeds of pigs that were specifically grown for making bacon.

The popular phrase “bring home the bacon” can be traced to the twelfth century, in the English town of Dunmow. The church in the town promised to reward a side of bacon to any married man who swore before God and the congregation that he would not quarrel with his wife for a year and a day. The husband who could bring home the bacon was highly esteemed by his community.

In the Second World War, bacon played an important role during the time of rationing. It gained popularity as reasonably priced meat for families to consume on a regular basis. People returned the bacon grease left from cooking bacon to their butcher, who in turn donated the bacon fat to the war effort. Among many uses, bacon fat was used as incendiary devices and for making explosives.

What about Nitrites?

Many processed meats are high in nitrates – hot dogs and deli meat are the worst offenders. While these nitrates are useful for preserving and improving the color of food, they are not good for your health. Many studies recommend that vitamin C be added to cured meats high in nitrates to prevent the formation of harmful nitrite compounds. Very few manufacturers do this.

Bacon contains Nitrites – a type of salt – and nitrates, which are found naturally in vegetables and convert to nitrite as you chew. Bacon contains a LOT of them. These additives preserve meat, kill bacteria, and boost flavor and color. But they can also damage blood vessels and make a stroke more likely. Even bacon that claims to be NITRITE free is not NITRATE free (so it’s just as bad for you).

So you can have some bacon…. but go light on the portions and the frequency.

Bacon Recipes

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How to Cook Bacon the Way the Pros Do – In the Oven

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Culinary 2, Pork

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange rack in the middle of the oven. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure there is overhang on all 4 sides.
  • Arrange the bacon directly on the parchment OR use of a wire rack for extra-crispy bacon arranged over the lining. Place bacon in a single layer. The slices can be close together or touching, but don't let them overlap or they'll stick together during cooking.
  • Bake until the bacon is deep golden-brown and crispy, about 14 minutes for regular bacon and 18 minutes for thick-cut bacon. Exact baking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it. Begin checking the bacon after 12 minutes.
  • Immediately transfer the bacon to to a second wire rack to cool and finish crisping. Serve immediately.
  • Clean up. If you want to save the bacon grease, let it cool slightly, then pour it through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a heatproof container and refrigerate. If you don't want to save the grease, let it solidify on the baking sheet, then crumple the foil or paper around it and discard.
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Lacquered Bacon

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Culinary 3, Fair Food, Pork

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thick-cut bacon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground, separated equally
  • 4 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar plus 3 tablespoons
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Set the oven temperature to 400*F.
  • Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the bacon in a single layer so that there’s little or no space between the pieces on a cooling rack set in the pan.
  • Liberally sprinkle one side of the bacon slices with the 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 4 tablespoons sugar and red pepper flakes.
  • Set the sheet pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan and use the back of a spoon to spread the dissolved sugar/pepper mixture evenly across the slices of bacon. Wait one minute.
  • Flip the bacon over and liberally sprinkle the other side of the bacon with remaining black pepper and 3 tablespoons sugar.
  • Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast until desired doneness: 15 minutes for chewy, 18 minutes for crisp. Slide parchment off pan and allow to cool completely. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not Refrigerate.
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Handmade, Smoked Bacon

The real deal…. 100% handmade bacon from raw pork belly. It TRULY doesn't get better than this.
Course Base
Cuisine American
Keyword Culinary 3, Pork

Ingredients

  • 1 4-5 pound pork belly skinned

For the cure:

  • ⅓ cup kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper or cracked black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons pink curing salt such as Prague Powder #1
  • ⅓ cup dry sweetener granulated sugar, maple sugar, freeze-dried sugar cane juice (Sucanat), or a mixture of these sweeteners

Instructions

Make Cure:

  • Place the salt, pepper, and pink salt in a mixing bowl and mix well. Mix in the your choice of sweetener, breaking up any lumps in brown sugar with your fingers.

Cure Belly

  • Place the pork belly on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the cure on top and rub it into the belly. Invert and sprinkle the remaining cure on the bottom and rub it in. Place the belly (plus any excess cure) in a large, sturdy, resealable plastic bag. Rest bag on sheet pan. Refrigerate.
  • Cure the belly for 5 days, turning it over each day to redistribute the liquid that accumulates as the salt draws out moisture.
  • Remove the pork belly from the cure and rinse well with cold water. Blot it dry with paper towels. Place the belly on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet in a refrigerator with good airflow and let it dry until the surface feels papery and tacky, at least 4 hours, or as long as overnight.

Smoke bacon

  • Set up your smoker and preheat it to 175 degrees F. Add hickory, apple, or cherry chips or chunks. Lay the pork belly directly on the grate. Smoke the pork belly until bronzed with wood smoke and firm, 2 to 3 hours. The internal temperature should reach 150 degrees F. (Insert an instant-read thermometer probe through the side of the bacon at one end.)

Final Steps

  • Transfer the bacon to a wire rack over a baking sheet and let it cool to room temperature. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  • Slice and cook (grill, panfry, or bake in the oven) and serve.

Further Reading On Bacon