Fun Facts about Bacon

15217172.JPG.jpg We’ve been cooking a lot with bacon lately, so we’re delighted with The Bacon Cookbook by James Villas. Villas calls bacon “the greatest and most beloved food on earth,” and while we’re not sure we’d go that far, there are moments when we have to agree there’s nothing better.

A few things we learned about bacon:
- It’s one of the oldest meats in history; the Chinese were preserving and salting pork bellies around 1500 B.C.
- While heavy on salt and kind of high in calories, bacon has no trans fat at all. Several slices of bacon are healthier in terms of calories, salt, fat and cholesterol than a hot dog, hamburger or glazed donut.
- The firmer the fat, the less sliced bacon will curl as it cooks.

Some local sources of premium bacon:
- Kam Man Food Products: carries Chinese bacon—pig belly that is either air-cured with soy sauce, brown sugar and spices, or cured and then smoked (200 Canal Street at Mulberry, 212-571-0330).
- Schaller & Weber: carries Hungarian rib bacon, Irish back bacon and Black forest regular and double-smoked bacon (1654 2nd Ave at 86th Street, 212-879-3047).
- D’Artagnan: carries domestic artisanal bacons, pancetta, nitrate-free smoked bacon and more (Newark, NJ, 800-327-8246).
- Flying Pigs Farm: carries Canadian-style bacon produced from special heritage hogs, smoked slab bacon and streaky bacon (Shushan, NY, 518-854-3844).

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Beth Green in Food on November 1, 2007 10:39 AM

Comments [rss]

baconheather

Try the wild boar bacon from D'Artagnan. It's the best! And it's even better wrapped around something.

MarygraceNYC

Bacon. One of life’s little pleasures. Best ever bacon you can find is at Oscar’s Smoke House. Their Apple Smoked Bacon is to die for!

http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/

TimSPC

Mmmmmmm, bacon. One of the few foods that cooks in the microwave almost as well as it does conventionally.

BLASPHEMER!

JenChungsBaby

Mmmmmmm, bacon. One of the few foods that cooks in the microwave almost as well as it does conventionally.

matty

although, considering billions of dollars worth of pork belly contracts are bought and sold here everyday you would think that we would have a more prevalent pork belly eating community. either that or maybe i just don't go out enough.

matty

i meant on the site. it's kind of an exotic dish out here in chicago. i had it at cafe lula in logan square. amazingly delicious.

Murray Hillster

"Villas calls bacon “the greatest and most beloved food on earth,” and while we’re not sure we’d go that far ..."

You should because it is.

"has anyone eaten pork belly?"

Given the number of restaurants in the New York City area listing it as a dish, and the fact it's so fucking good, I'm going to guess tens of thousands of people have had pork belly in the metro area alone.

As Wikipedia notes: "This cut of meat is enormously popular in Chinese cuisine and Korean cuisine where it is generally marinated and cooked as a whole slab." So, I'm guessing a few million more (although this isn't the same as the high end pork belly that you'll find at a place like Daniel http://nymag.com/news/articles/reasonstoloveny/2006/25608/).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_belly

See also, Iron Chef, Episode IC1A10, Pork Belly Battle.

lower manhattan

I just bought fabulous bacon at one of the butchers in Greenpoint--- and was flabbergasted at how cheap it is to shop outside of Manhattan. Has made me rethink my retirement plans. The difference in the cost of shelter in Manhattan is nothing compared to the general cost of living.

Kojak

Heathen Spawns of Satan. Pork is fattening and not good for you, not to mention it comes from the UNCLEAN belly of a pig.

You all make me sick

matty

has anyone eaten pork belly? it was delicious though i doubt it was very good for me.

HughGass

"Several slices of bacon are healthier in terms of calories, salt, fat and cholesterol than a hot dog, hamburger or glazed donut."

AND ... great comparison! Not sure what would be more UNHEALTHY than those. Stupid.

chuzzlewit

In the Fall a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of pork

Danielle Sucher

Now you're talking my language. I have about 8 lbs of pork belly curing in my fridge right now - it'll be bacon by next weekend.

gossipgirl

Mmm, hungry for breakfast now.

HughGass

"bacon has no trans fat at all."

Ya ... no shit. Trans fats are made in a lab, not naturally occurring anywhere.

matty

William Valentine: No thanks, guys, I already had breakfast this morning.

Randolph: This is not a meal, Valentine. We are here to try to explain to you what it is we do here.

We are commodities brokers, William. Now, what are commodities? Commodities are agricultural products, like coffee that you had for breakfast, wheat, which is used to make bread, pork bellies, which is used to make bacon, which you might find in a bacon and lettuce and tomato sandwich.