Posted on 09/18/2011 6:10:28 AM PDT by Daffynition
Wal-Mart brand thick sliced is my all time favorite.
My tastebuds are going nuts. Sometimes you’re TOO good Joe.
I’ve always wondered about those, since the curing is what makes it bacon (instead of pork).
It has all the spices but not the nitrates. I was skeptical too but it’s actually better than regular bacon IMO. Only downside is keep it frozen till use then use it up within a few days.
Both nitrates and nitrites are found in plants, with the highest concentration being in green, leafy vegetables. In fact, if you study the ingredients lists on those nitrate/nitrite free bacons, you'll probably find things like celery juice concentrate, or sometimes powdered spinach, both of which contain a high enough concentration of nitrates and nitrites that, if a chemical analysis were done, that bacon would be found to contain just as much of these chemicals as conventional bacon. The makers are allowed to label them as not having these chemicals only because they are using a natural instead of purified form.
There are exceptions, a few artisans make theirs with salt only, but they are extremely rare and generally very expensive.
I guess I figure I get fewer nitrates from my bacon than I would spinach, so I’m not too woried about them. But I can understand how some people who are sensitive to them would want to avoid them. :)
In a sense, this is a little ‘off track’ but...
If given a choice when ‘having’ to eat out, one might at least consider “Denny’s”.
Yes, the disdain is really there etc BUT if one has been paying attention to the BO admin ‘war on food’, there is one great standout.
“Denny’s”.
Couple of weeks ago ‘Denny’s’ had been featuring BACON as its main ‘course.
Recently it has been ‘Cheese’.
If this isn’t a subtle (well IMNSHO, not so subtle) slap at OB then nothing is.
During the ‘Bacon’ feature, I chowed down on a breakfast platter that featured (about) 10 pieces of assorted bacon, when I ordered potatoes, the waitress said “We have home fries with bacon bits”...my reaction naturally was “OF COURSE”.
I did draw the line at the Ice Cream Sundae with bacon bits though.
Probably shouldn’t have....
BTW I will be 72 in 2 weeks and am a picture of health without going through all the rituals...eat what I want, when I want and stay away from Doctors.
Guess that is my ‘secret’, am on ZERO Prescription drugs etc and virtually ZERO Doctor visits - must be a correlation there.
Best bacon I ever had came from a friend’s daughter’s 4-H project. I think its name was Kebab when it was ambulatory...
(But don't count on longevity.)
I never do, but it’s not because I eat Bacon.
“We get our bacon from Oberweis dairy with our milk delivery.”
Wow, you get your milk delivered? I’m envious! I haven’t seen a milk delivery truck in decades I suppose - long time anyway :)
Bravo? Beelers is top of the heap as far as I’m concerned. Do you know the Beeler boys?
Hormel is a great bacon for the general bulk division. We have an old fashioned meat counter in our grocery and that is what is for sale.
Was trying to find the brand of Jalapeno bacon popular here in TX, and found this recipe at http://www.chaosinthekitchen.com
Home-Cured Jalapeño Bacon
makes 2 1/2 to 3lbs, prep 10 min, cure 7 days, roast 2+ hours
2.5-3lb skin-on pork belly
2.5 tbsp salt
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup or dark brown sugar
3 jalapenos
2 cloves garlic
1/4 red onion
1/4 cup cilantro
3 fresh bay leaves
Trim pork belly to fit into a large zip-top bag.
Add remaining ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
Pour cure into zip top bag with the pork belly. Seal and refrigerate, turning daily, for seven days.
On the seventh day, remove the pork belly from the fridge and rinse well.
Pat dry with paper towels. Pre-heat oven to 200°F. Place pork belly fat side up on a rack on baking sheet (line with foil for easy clean-up).
Roast pork belly 2 or more hours until a thermometer reads 150°F in the center. Alternately, you can smoke or grill to this same internal temp.
Remove pork from the oven and slice off the skin while still hot. Seal pork in plastic and refrigerate up to 10 days or freeze.
To serve, slice thinly and pan-fry or chop and add to beans or stews. Freeze for about 30 minutes or until firm and slice with a sharp chef’s knife.
I just found this recipe for pecan encrusted bacon.
There’s a pic, and it looks like candy bars..Yummy.
http://unsophisticook.com/maple-pecan-crusted-bacon-recipe/
Not personally but they sell it locally. Mom and sister caught on to it and had me try some. I was hooked.
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