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FYI: It doesn't look like this in the store.
Careful shoppers check the eggs for cracks. They'll squeeze a melon, an avocado, a loaf of bread, even a roll of toilet paper. So why just toss any old package of bacon into the cart? Anyone who's ever suffered sub-standard bacon in a fast food meal knows that not all bacon is created equal. To get the prime cuts for your recipes, it's time to start reading the labels.
The Miracle Cure
Curing is one process of preserving and flavoring meat, usually with some combination of salt, sugar and nitrates. Smoking may or may not also be involved. We don't need to get all science-y here, but it's important to know that cooking food with nitrates at higher temperatures (as we often do with bacon) creates nitrosamines, which may or may not cause cancers in humans. The studies are still inconclusive, but it's always a good idea to know what you're eating. Look for sodium nitrite on the ingredients list to find out if your bacon contains nitrates.
Uncured bacon, on the other hand, doesn't contain these preservatives, but that means it will spoil faster if it goes unused. Always refrigerate or freeze your bacon immediately, and don't let it sit long at room temperature--as with other meats, bacon left unrefrigerated puts you at risk of salmonella and other nasty food poisoning culprits. (For more info on safe pork handling, check out the Midland Food Examiner.)
Thick as Thieves
Consider the recipe you're using and the end result you'd like. Thick-cut bacon will take longer to cook and will generally result in a chewier, meatier strip, whereas particularly thin slices can be quickly transformed into the ultra-crispy bacon so many of us adore.
Check the Window
Just as you should be in the habit of checking expiration dates on any perishable food, you should always flip a bacon package over and look through the viewing window. No, this isn't just an attempt to save on cardboard—the viewing window is a way to get a better picture of the way your bacon will look out of the package. Strips are stacked so that they look pretty uniform and meaty from the front, but marbling and fat content are always going to vary from package to package. If you like a little less fat on your bacon, look for a higher ratio of pink to white.
Despite vivid dreams I may frequently have to the contrary, there is no such thing as the Perfect Bacon. A lot of the success of any bacon dish hinges on your preparation, but why not get a leg up by being a picky shopper? I promise no one will call the store manager if you take the time to check out more than one package in the cooler.
(They might call if you crawl bodily into the cooler, though. That's just rude.)
Comments
THIS ARTICLE IS AWESOME
I love bacon, and I always look for a package that has a good amount of fat. Too much pink and it's too chewy for my family's taste.
My mind is swimming with bacon right now. FYI I just included a link to you in my latest article re: Bacon is the new black :-)
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