Bacon - guide on meat

bacon Today, many still can not say with certainty, differs from ham bacon or ham. For the production of bacon, ham or ham you need happy, grew up in the wild pig. Best bacon made from pig breeds purebred Tamworth, Middle-White and Saddleback.

Buying Tips: What should pay attention

Quality bacon should not smell at all. If there is a smell, it means he is not fresh.
Bacon should be slightly moist to the touch, but not wet or tacky.
The fat must be firm and white - or yellow, if it is not smoked, of course.
On the meat should not be yellow or green flickering spots; These spots indicate that it is not fresh.
The shell should be soft and flexible, but the color will depend on the method of processing. Some varieties are darker than others.
The meat should be firm (not wet and flabby), lean and have a dark pink color Pink: Symphony of tenderness .

bacon

SMOKED

There are two main methods of drying - dry and wet. Dried bacon, cooked by dry, rub a mixture of salt and sugar. Typically, this method is used to prepare the best varieties of bacon - with a dry shell and a more complete and expressive flavor. When cooking bacon pork dry method is immersed in the brine (aqueous salt solution), which penetrates into the meat faster than dry prosole, but this method is also more susceptible to overshoot the mark.

Some manufacturers of the brine is injected directly into the meat, increasing its weight and increasing profits. By law, they are allowed to add brine to 10% by weight of meat without the need to specify that. But in the end it turns tasteless bacon, which is compressed and released during cooking white "cheesy" a fluid that does not allow to cook Crunchy thin slice.

Mild sweet bacon goes softer process typically using a large amount of sugar. Drying process can take anywhere from several days to several months. Then, the bacon can be left as it is - and then get fat - or to smoke it.

Cuts (from head to tail)

Pig intended for bacon, as well as fresh pork, bisect along the ridge and then a further three sections - front, back, and legs.

The front end

bacon Neck - a cut-out from the shoulder of the pig, situated behind her head. It is usually purified from the bone and divided into two parts - the first-class neck (this is one of the best pieces for cooking, it weighs 2 to 75 kg) and the edge of the cervix (the part of the smaller, more economical piece of 1 kg). Shin - is the front leg of the pig. It can sell one piece or divided into two to give the top-notch shank (small fatty part of the weight of about 600 g It is great for soups, or cooking with dried beans, peas and lentils), and knuckle shank (this part, though to a larger size, it contains a lot of bones. It is best to clean the bones and skin and cut for cooking in the pot along with other varieties of meat). If this part of the clean from the bones and cook and chill, you get the front leg of pork.

The middle part

The back once sold on the bone and cut between the ribs on the chops of bacon, but it is a delicacy, and today find it extremely difficult. Most often it is cleaned from the bones and cut into thin slices of bacon from the back, which can be quickly cooked on the grill or fry.

The abdominal part is also cleaned from the bones and cut into thin bacon with layers of fat. Thin slices of the middle part of bacon - is larger bacon slices that are cut as a fillet, and from the ventral portion.

Rear leg

bacon This portion is also known as ham. This is a great piece weighing an average of 8, 5-9, 5 kg, so it is difficult to cook it at home. It is often divided into smaller pieces.

Corner ham - it is as the name implies, a small piece of lean from the upper part of the whole leg, which weighs about 1, 8 kg. It is ideal for cooking or frying, it also can be cut into slices across - a little thicker than bacon - lean slices of bacon on the grill.

Average ham - is the upper part of the leg weight 2-3 kg. This part of the ham is best suited for frying or cooking because it contains the largest and clean pieces. It can be cooked on the bone or boneless. It is because of this piece can be cut into steaks, hams, which are perfect for grilling.

The side of the ham can be cooked on the bone and without. It is more economical for a piece of cooking or frying and drying so that it can be eaten cold. Leg Slipper - a small piece of lean, which is cut from the side of the whole leg. It weighs around 750 g and is ideal for cooking and frying.

Pancetta

Pancetta - a kind of Italian bacon jerky ventral portion. It is very reminiscent of streaky bacon fat, cooked by dry curing. It can add different herbs or smoke and collapse into a cylindrical shape. It can be purchased in one piece or already cut into small pieces or thin slices. She has a terrific flavor, and it is an important ingredient in many Italian dishes.

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