Bacon Put some sizzle on your plate with a few bacon tips
Best to buy
American bacon shrinks considerably when cooked, as the heat releases much of its high fat content. When purchasing, be aware that a pound of bacon will shrink to about 4 ounces (112 grams).
Store it safely
Refrigerate vacuum-packed bacon for up to one week.
Quick & easy recipe
To cook American sliced bacon, lay slices in a cold skillet and then turn heat up to medium high. As the bacon begins to shrink and brown, turn it with a fork and make sure the slices lie flat. When the bacon is crisp and brown, remove and drain on a paper towel.
Also indexed as: American Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Pancetta, Salt Pork
Preparation, uses, and tips
To cook American sliced bacon, lay slices in a cold skillet then turn heat up to medium high. As the bacon begins to shrink and brown, turn it with a fork and make sure the slices lie flat. When the bacon is crisp and brown, remove and drain on a paper towel.
To microwave American sliced bacon, place a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate, arrange slices of bacon on the paper towel, alternate layers of bacon and paper towels, and cook on high 45 to 60 seconds per slice or 15 to 17 minutes per pound (445g).
Canadian bacon is precooked and simply needs to be heated by frying, broiling, or heating in the oven. It is also eaten cold in sandwiches.
Buying and storing tips
American bacon shrinks considerably when cooked, as the heat releases much of its high fat content. When purchasing, be aware that a pound of bacon will shrink to about 4 ounces (112g).
Store bacon in the refrigerator. Vacuum-packed bacon, once opened, will keep in the refrigerator for one week. If tightly wrapped, slab bacon keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. Slabs of Canadian bacon keep for up to a week, but slices must be used within three to four days.
Bacon will keep in the freezer for one to two months.
Varieties
American Bacon
American bacon, also called side bacon or, in Britain, streaky bacon, is the bacon most commonly sold sliced and packaged in the supermarket. Bacon is the cured and smoked meat and fat from the belly of the pig. To make bacon, processors inject brine into the pork, then either smoke it or inject smoke flavoring. For sliced bacon, the rind is trimmed from slab bacon and the meat is sliced into 36 pieces per pound for thin-sliced styles, 16 to 20 for regular, and 12 to 16 for thick-sliced. Slab bacon is pork that is still attached to the rind. Side bacon (without the rind) also comes precooked and canned. To achieve the desired crispness when cooked, bacon must have a fat content of one half to two-thirds of its uncooked weight.
Canadian Bacon
Canadian Bacon (called back bacon in Canada) is the cured, smoked, cooked eye of pork loin. It resembles ham more closely than bacon and is much less fatty than American bacon. Canadian bacon comes either in individual slices, or in a cylinder-shaped chunk.
Pancetta
Pancetta is Italian bacon, made from pork that is cured but not smoked. It has a subtler flavor than American sliced bacon and makes a tasty accent in green salads.
Salt Pork
Salt pork is salt-cured but not smoked meat from the belly of a pig. It’s a favorite component in Southern cooking, especially with beans and collard greens.
Nutrition Highlights
Bacon (cooked, 3 slices), .85 oz. (24g)
Calories: 103
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrate: 0g
Total Fat: 8g
Fiber: 0g
*Good source of: Niacin (2.11mg), Phosphorus (101.27mg), and Selenium (11.78mcg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2009.