Bacon

Bacon is made by brining and cold smoking or drying the sides, back or belly of pork. There are several kinds of bacon: Bacons made from the belly:

• American Bacon

• Italian Bacon (Pancetta)

• English Bacon

Bacons made from the back:

• Canadian Bacon

• Irish Bacon

Bacons made from the back of a hog are much leaner, and do not taste the same as bacons made from the pork belly. Bacon made from the back of the belly are fatter than bacon made from the front of a belly. Because it is cured, bacon tends to keep for a very long time.

American Bacon

American Bacon is made by curing the meat in a brine made of sugar, salt, pepper and other assorted spices for at least three days, and then cold smoking it.

Pancetta

Pancetta is made by removing the skin and seasoning the meat with salt, pepper and other spices such as juniper berries, muscot nuts, cloves and cinnamon. ¹ It is cured for two weeks and then rolled up and packed into a skin much like salami. Like many sausages high in fat, pancetta is hard to cut.