Bacon 63394 226128241 2008-07-16T23:03:21Z Ehlkej 381178 /* In the English-speaking world */ removed false statment (verified at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3003286) {{Refimprove|article|date=February 2008}} {{pp-semi|small=yes}} {{otheruses}}{{wiktionarypar|bacon}} [[Image:Bacon.jpg|thumb|100px|Uncooked streaky bacon.]] '''Bacon''' is a cut of [[meat]] taken from the sides, belly, or back of a [[pig]] that has been [[Curing (food preservation)|cured]], [[Smoking (food)|smoked]], or both. Meat from other animals, such as [[beef]], [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]], [[chicken]], [[goat]] or [[turkey (bird)|turkey]], may also be cut, cured, or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon. Bacon may be eaten fried, baked, or grilled, or used as a minor ingredient to flavor dishes. The word is derived from the [[Old High German]] ''bacho'', meaning "back", "ham", or "bacon". The [[USDA]] defines bacon as "the cured belly of a swine carcass"; other cuts and characteristics must be separately qualified (e.g., "smoked pork loin bacon").<ref name=fsis>United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. [http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Help/glossary-B/index.asp USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Glossary B]. Retrieved 2007-07-09.</ref> "USDA Certified" bacon means that it has been treated for [[trichinella]]. In continental [[Europe]], bacon is used primarily in cubes ([[lardon]]s) as a cooking ingredient, valued both as a source of [[fat]] and for its flavour. In [[Italy]], bacon is called [[pancetta]] and usually cooked in small cubes or served uncooked and thinly sliced as part of an [[antipasto]]. Bacon is also used for [[barding and larding]] roasts, especially game birds. Many people prefer to have bacon smoked using various types of woods or turf. This process can take up to ten hours depending on the intensity of the flavour desired. ==In the English-speaking world== A side of unsliced bacon is a ''flitch'',<ref>Merriam-Webster Online - Flitch [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flitch] Retrieved 2008-03-29.</ref> while an individual slice of bacon is a ''rasher'' (United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) or simply a ''slice'' or ''strip'' (North America). Slices of bacon are also known as ''[[collops]]''. Traditionally, the [[skin]] is left on the cut and is known as ''bacon rind'', but rindless bacon is also common. In the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland]], bacon comes in a wide variety of cuts and flavours. In the [[United States]], ordinary bacon is made only from the [[pork belly]], yielding what is known in Britain as "streaky bacon", or "streaky rashers". In Britain, bacon made from the meat on the back of the pig is referred to as ''back bacon'' or ''back rashers''. It usually includes a streaky bit and a lean ovoid bit, and is part of traditional [[full breakfast]] commonly eaten in [[Great Britain|Britain]] and [[Ireland]]. In the United States, back bacon is called ''Canadian-style bacon'' or ''Canadian bacon'', but this term refers usually to the lean ovoid portion.<ref name=urmis>Cattleman's Beef Board & National Cattlemen's Beef Association. [http://www.beefretail.org/uDocs/urmis/contents/pork.pdf Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards]. Retrieved 2007-07-09.</ref> In Canada, it is called ''peameal bacon'', whereas ''bacon'' is used generally to refer to strip bacon, which is more common to the Canadian diet. Bacon is also a popular breakfast food. ==In Asia== [[Image:Korean barbecue-Samgyeopsal-07.jpg|thumb|Korean ''[[samgyeopsal]]'']] In [[Korea]], one of the most popular cooked meats is grilled unsmoked pork belly called ''[[samgyeopsal]]'' (삼겹살), literally "three layered meat". Like most traditional meat dishes in Korea, it is grilled at the table, cut into small pieces with scissors when partly or wholly cooked, and eaten communally. Koreans prize samgyeopsal meat with a high fat content, and pay a premium for meat that is especially fatty. ==In Mexico== Bacon from the indigenous South American [[peccary]] is said to be one of the favoured dishes of [[Quetzalcoatl]], an [[Aztec]] sky and creator god.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} ==Bacon used as a topping== [[Image:Baconchilidog.jpg|thumb|Chili Dogs topped with bacon]] In the U.S. and Europe, bacon is often used as a [[condiment]] or topping on other foods. Streaky bacon is more commonly used as a topping in the U.S., on items such as [[pizza]], [[salads]], [[sandwiches]], [[hamburgers]], [[baked potatoes]], [[hot dogs]], and [[soups]]. Back bacon is used less frequently in the [[United States]], but can sometimes be found on [[pizza]], [[salads]] and [[omelets]]. [[Bacon bits]] are chopped pieces of pre-cooked bacon intended to be sprinkled over foods, particularly salads. Imitation "bacon bits" made of [[texturized vegetable protein]] flavoured to resemble authentic bacon bits are also available. ==Health concerns== {{Expand|date=February 2008}} A 2007 study by [[Columbia University]] suggests a link between eating [[cured meat]]s (such as bacon) and [[chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]]. The preservative [[sodium nitrite]] is the probable cause.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6560121.stm Too much bacon 'bad for lungs']. ''BBC News''. [[2007-04-17]]. Retrieved [[2008-04-09]].</ref> ==Nutrients== Select nutritional data from types of bacon in the USDA National Nutrient Database:<ref>USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. [http://riley.nal.usda.gov/NDL/cgi-bin/nut_search_new.pl USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference]. Retrieved 2007-07-12.</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! !! Streaky bacon,<br /> raw !! Streaky bacon,<br /> cooked !! Canadian style<br /> bacon, cooked !! Hormel Canadian<br />Style Bacon |- |align="left"| '''Amount''' ||align=right| 1 slice &nbsp; &nbsp; ||align=right| 1 slice &nbsp; &nbsp; ||align=right| 2 slices &nbsp; &nbsp; ||align=right| 1 serving &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| '''Total Weight (g)''' ||align=right| 29 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 8 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 47 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 56 &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| &nbsp; Water (g) || align=right| 3.57 (12%) &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 0.99 (12%) &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 29 (62%) &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 40.85 (73%) &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| '''Calories''' || align=right| 157 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 43 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 87 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 68 &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| '''Total Fat (g)''' || align=right| 12.12 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 3.34 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 3.97 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 9.45 &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| &nbsp; Saturated Fat (g) || align=right| 3.984 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 1.099 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 1.335 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 1.025 &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| '''Cholesterol (mg)''' || align=right| 32 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 9 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 27 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 27 &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| '''Sodium (mg)''' || align=right| 670 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 185 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 727 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 569 &nbsp; &nbsp; |- |align="left"| '''Protein (g)''' || align=right| 10.74 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 2.96 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 11.39 &nbsp; &nbsp; || align=right| 9.45 &nbsp; &nbsp; |} ==Grease== [[Image:Bacongrease.jpg|thumb|200px|Bacon frying in bacon grease.]] Bacon grease, also known as bacon drippings, is the [[Fat|grease]] created by cooking [[bacon]]. When bacon is cooked, its fat naturally melts, releasing a highly flavorful grease. Bacon grease is traditionally saved in [[southern U.S. cuisine]] and used as an all-purpose flavoring for everything from [[gravy]] to [[cornbread]]<ref name="Cornbread Gravy">{{citation | title=[[The Joy of Cooking]] | contribution=Pan Gravy | first=Irma | last=Rombauer | first2= Marion | last2 = Rombauer Becker| publisher=[[Penguin Group]] | year=[[1964]] | pages = 322 | isbn = 0-452-26332-8 | location = USA}}</ref> to [[salad dressing]].<ref name="Bacon Vinaigrette">{{citation | first=Alton | last=Brown | title=Bacon Vinaigrette with Grilled Radicchio|url=http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_17619,00.html | accessdate=2008-01-13}}</ref> One [[teaspoon]] (4 grams) of bacon grease has 38 [[calories]].<ref name="Nutrition Data">{{citation | title=Nutritional Summary for Animal fat, bacon grease | url=http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21ru.html | access-date=2008-01-13}}</ref> It is composed almost completely of [[fat]], with very little additional nutritional value. Bacon fat is roughly 40% [[saturated fat|saturated]].<ref name="Nutrition Data">{{citation | title=Nutritional Summary for Animal fat, bacon grease | url=http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21ru.html | access-date=2008-01-13}}</ref> Despite the health consequences of excessive bacon grease consumption, it remains popular in the cuisine of the [[American South]]. ==See also== {{commons|Bacon}} *[[Guanciale]] *[[Lard]] *[[Pancetta]] *[[Salt pork]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=3&title=Bacon+%28Part+I%29 Cooking For Engineers - Cooking Tests: Bacon (Part I)] | [http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=110&title=Bacon+%28Part+II%29 (Part II)] * [http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa082701a.htm About.com- History of Bacon Part III] * [http://neverbashfulwithbutter.blogspot.com/2007/12/experiments-in-deliciousness-bacon.html Bacon Cookies] {{Fatsandoils}} [[Category:Cuts of pork]] [[Category:Breakfast foods]] [[Category:British cuisine]] [[Category:Canadian cuisine]] [[Category:Irish cuisine]] [[Category:Low-carb packaged foods]] [[Category:Garde manger]] [[ar:باكون]] [[be:Бекон]] [[be-x-old:Бекон]] [[da:Flæsk]] [[de:Speck]] [[es:Panceta]] [[fr:Lard]] [[ko:베이컨]] [[he:קותל חזיר]] [[nl:Bacon (vlees)]] [[ja:ベーコン]] [[no:Bacon]] [[pl:Boczek]] [[pt:Toucinho]] [[simple:Bacon]] [[fi:Pekoni]] [[sv:Bacon]] [[tr:Pastırma]] [[uk:Бекон]] [[zh:煙肉]]