Ingredient
Bacon
Cured pork belly or back. Dry-cured bacon browns and crisps; wet-cured, injected bacon leaks a white liquid into the pan and steams instead, which is the single biggest reason home-cooked bacon disappoints.
- Sourcing
- Look for dry-cured on the label, and buy from a butcher if you can. Streaky is belly and renders more fat; back is leaner and English-style.
- Varieties
- Streaky, Back, Pancetta, Lardons, Smoked, Unsmoked
- Quality cues
- Firm, dry-surfaced rashers with clear white fat. A wet, slimy sheen or grey-tinged fat means it is past its best.
- Substitutions
- Pancetta, Guanciale, Lardons
- Storage
- Refrigerate at 4°C or below, wrapped, and keep it away from ready-to-eat food. Freezes well laid flat in portions.
- Shelf life
- Unopened to the pack date; 7 days refrigerated once opened; 3 months frozen
Nutrition
Per 100 g
- Calories
- 309 kcal
- Protein
- 11.7 g
- Fat
- 29.5 g
- Carbs
- 5.3 g
- Fibre
- 2.6 g
- Sugars
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 1465 mg
From USDA FoodData Central (#172439). Raw, edible portion.