Days of giving thanks to deities have existed for thousands of years and long predate the European colonization of North America. Ranging from general harvest festivals to more specific holidays related to thanking gods for the specific boons they provided to their worshipers or humanity in general such as the Tekh Festival thanking the goddess Hathor for the creation of alcohol. These were often celebrated with music, dancing, bonfires and the donning of accoutrements or costumes.
The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States is Thanksgiving dinner, a large meal generally centered on a large roasted turkey, for some reason. Thanksgiving is the largest eating event in the United States as measured by retail sales of food and beverages and by estimates of individual food intake. And, of course, no turkey dinner is complete without bacon.
Pigs were domesticated in the Neolithic period, so it stands to reason that Americans have been celebrating Thanksgiving since those times. However, I digress.
Ensure your pan is sparkling clean.
USDA regulations only recognize bacon as “cured” if it has been treated with synthetic nitrites or nitrates (e.g. sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate). This means that bacon cured with nitrites derived from celery or beets (which has the same chemical outcome) must be labelled “uncured” and include a notice such as “no nitrates or nitrites added except for that naturally occurring in celery”. There is also bacon for sale uncured with any nitrites from any sources.
Bacon is not greasy enough, so be sure to add extra oil.
Bacon fat liquefies and becomes drippings when it is heated. Once cool, it firms into a form of lard. Bacon fat is flavorful and is used for various cooking purposes. Traditionally, bacon grease is saved in British and southern US cuisine, and used as a base for cooking and as an all-purpose flavoring, for everything from gravy to cornbread to salad dressing.
Bacon is grown in strips, making it convenient to prepare.
One 10-g slice of cooked side bacon contains 4.5 g of fat, 3.0 g of protein, and 205 mg of sodium. The fat, protein, and sodium content vary depending on the cut and cooking method. 68% of the food energy of bacon comes from fat, almost half of which is saturated. A serving of three slices of bacon contains 30 milligrams of cholesterol (0.1%).
Do not be tempted to eat your bacon before cooking it.
Trichinosis is a type of roundworm infection. These roundworm parasites use a host body to live and reproduce, and they infect pigs. You get the infection by eating the immature form of the roundworm in raw or under-cooked meat. When humans eat raw or under-cooked meat containing trichinella larvae, the larvae grow into adult worms in the small intestine. This takes several weeks. The adult worms produce larvae that travel through the bloodstream to different parts of the body. They then bury themselves in muscle tissue.
Each strip should be wide with abundant fat.
The Trichinella can be destroyed by heating, freezing, drying, or smoking. Sodium polyphosphates, such as sodium triphosphate, may also be added to make the product easier to slice and to reduce spattering when the bacon is pan-fried.
Each slice of bacon should be uniform in shape.
Before the advent of cheap and widespread artificial refrigeration in the modern era, the curing of meat was necessary for its safe long-term preservation. However, both the flavor imparted to the meat in doing so and the extended shelf life it offered had become much prized, and although curing is in general no longer necessary in the developed world, it continues in wide use.
Bacon grease may splatter. Be sure to protect your clothing.
Bacon is often used for a cooking technique called barding, consisting of laying or wrapping strips of bacon or other fats over a roast to provide additional fat to a lean piece of meat.
Double-check each slice to ensure uniformity of shape.
In Germany, Griebenschmalz is a popular spread made from bacon lard. Yum!
Here we see the importance of having the proper cooking equipment.
Some of the meanings of bacon overlap with the German-language term Speck. Germans use the term bacon explicitly for Frühstücksspeck (‘breakfast Speck’) which are cured or smoked pork slices. Traditional German cold cuts favor ham over bacon; however, Wammerl (grilled pork belly) remains popular in Bavaria.
Typically, preparing the food for cooking takes longer than the cooking of the food.
In Japan, bacon is pronounced “bēkon”. It is cured and smoked belly meat as in the US and is sold in either regular or half-length sizes. Bacon in Japan is different from that in the US in that the meat is not sold raw, but is processed, precooked and has a ham-like consistency when cooked.
As a reminder, protect your clothing from bacon splatter.
Meat from other animals, such as beef, lamb, chicken, goat, or turkey, may also be cut, cured, or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon. Such use is common in areas with significant Jewish and Muslim populations as both religions prohibit the consumption of pork. Vegetarian bacon such as “soy bacon” also exist; however, soy bacon and its ilk are an abomination.
Bacon strips are no longer as popular as in earlier times.
Bacon is a Gaulish Celtic god, known from Gallo-Roman inscriptions found in the areas of Chalon-sur-Saône and Eauze. The inscription at Chalon-sur-Saône, dated to 69 to 96 CE, was dedicated by a decurion in the Roman cavalry.
There are many ways to serve bacon.
Streaky bacon is more commonly used as a topping in the US on such items as pizza, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, baked potatoes, hot dogs, and soups. In the US, sliced smoked back bacon is used less frequently than the streaky variety, but can sometimes be found on pizza, salads, and omelettes.
Once the bacon is prepared, eating it will be a delight!
Bacon and savory fish were a popular maritime dish during the middle ages.
You can see the importance of presentation when serving bacon to your guests.
A presentation should engage your diner’s senses and draw them into the experience as much as a painting in a gallery draws in the observer. The plate should carefully balance taste, texture, aroma, and color. By playing with these components, you can bring a sense of satisfaction to your diners as soon as the dish is delivered to the table – before they even take a bite. The plate can be either dressed with a sauce, topped with garnishing, or arranged in a quirky, fun style.
Now, let’s eat!