The original post.

Troop — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:52:57 GMT

Current revision posted to Bacon by Troop on 1/11/2009 7:52:57 PM

The original post.

Filed under: Bacon

This is the original post that started the misc. topics about bacon (written by {MC}Troop):

A few days ago I was out with my family and we went to a nice breakfast diner to eat. While looking at the menu I saw Canadian Bacon. I thought it was pretty funny Canada would have there own bacon named after them. Anyways, I started to wonder why it was named Canadian Bacon. Why do they get there own Bacon? How is it different from Ham? Why is it called Bacon at all if it's just Ham? I went on Ventrilo when I got home, and asked a Canadian. The conversation got more confusing from there. It turns out he didn't even know what Canadian Bacon is. If a Canadian doesn't know what Canadian Bacon is, who will?

Wikipedia.
I jumped onto Wikipedia today to do some research.

"Bacon is defined as any of certain cuts of meat taken from the sides, belly or back of a pig that may be cured and/or smoked."

So I thought "Is our Bacon called American Bacon elsewhere?". No, typical American Bacon is called "Streaky Bacon". "Rindless bacon, however, is quite common. In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, bacon comes in a wide variety of cuts and flavours whereas bacon in the United States is predominantly what is known as "streaky bacon", or "streaky rashers" in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland".

So...wait...if I went to a different country and ordered two eggs and a side of Bacon, what would I get? You would most likely get Canadian Bacon, although I'm not completly sure because I've never actually tried. "Bacon made from the meat on the back of the pig is referred to as back bacon and is part of traditional British and Irish breakfasts. In North America, back bacon may also be referred to as Canadian-style Bacon or Canadian Bacon."

So believe it or not fellow Americans, Bacon is not just the Bacon we think it is. There's all types of Bacon! Get out there and try them all.

Extra Bacon Information (straight from Wikipedia):

Streaky bacon comes from the belly of a pig. It is very fatty with long veins of fat running parallel to the rind. This is the most common form of bacon in the United States. Pancetta is Italian streaky bacon, smoked or green (unsmoked), with a strong flavour. It is generally rolled up into cylinders after curing.
Back bacon comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig. It is a lean meaty cut of bacon, with relatively less fat compared to other cuts and has a ham-like texture and flavour. Most bacon consumed in the United Kingdom is back bacon. ^[3]
Middle bacon is much like back bacon but is cheaper and somewhat fattier, with a richer flavour.
Cottage bacon, thinly sliced lean pork meat from a shoulder cut that is typically oval shaped and meaty. It is cured and then sliced into round pieces for baking or frying.
Jowl bacon, is cured and smoked cheeks of pork

Bacon joints include the following:

Collar bacon is taken from the back of a pig near the head.
Hock, from the hog ankle joint between the ham and the foot.
Gammon, from the hind leg, traditionally "Wiltshire cured".
Picnic bacon is from the picnic cut, which includes the shoulder beneath the blade.^[1] It is fairly lean, but tougher than most pork cuts.

Back bacon or Canadian bacon
Back bacon is a lean meaty cut of bacon.

Canadian bacon is a term used in the United States but elsewhere it is simply back bacon. It refers to any lean meaty cut of bacon, and is sometimes used as a pizza topping. In Canada back bacon is sometimes known as peameal bacon, which refers to a specific variety of unsmoked lean bacon that has been sweet pickle-cured and coated in yellow cornmeal (originally, as the name suggests, peameal was used). Other proteins, such as turkey and beef, can be made in the style of peameal bacon by employing this same sweet pickle and cornmeal process.

Often times in the US, products sold as "canadian bacon" are actually nothing more than pieces ham cut into circles and is not the true peameal bacon popular in Canada. Such "canadian bacon" is a popular ingredient in fast-food breakfast sandwiches, including the Egg McMuffin.

The original post.

Troop — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:52:57 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Bacon by Troop on 1/11/2009 7:52:57 PM

This is the original post that started the misc. topics about bacon (written by {MC}Troop):

"Bacon is defined as any of certain cuts of meat taken from the sides, belly or back of a pig that may be cured and/or smoked."

Streaky bacon comes from the belly of a pig. It is very fatty with long veins of fat running parallel to the rind. This is the most common form of bacon in the United States. Pancetta is Italian streaky bacon, smoked or green (unsmoked), with a strong flavour. It is generally rolled up into cylinders after curing.
Back bacon comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig. It is a lean meaty cut of bacon, with relatively less fat compared to other cuts and has a ham-like texture and flavour. Most bacon consumed in the United Kingdom is back bacon. ^[3]
Middle bacon is much like back bacon but is cheaper and somewhat fattier, with a richer flavour.
Cottage bacon, thinly sliced lean pork meat from a shoulder cut that is typically oval shaped and meaty. It is cured and then sliced into round pieces for baking or frying.
Jowl bacon, is cured and smoked cheeks of pork

Bacon joints include the following:

Collar bacon is taken from the back of a pig near the head.
Hock, from the hog ankle joint between the ham and the foot.
Gammon, from the hind leg, traditionally "Wiltshire cured".
Picnic bacon is from the picnic cut, which includes the shoulder beneath the blade.^[1] It is fairly lean, but tougher than most pork cuts.

Back bacon or Canadian bacon
Back bacon is a lean meaty cut of bacon.

Canadian bacon is a term used in the United States but elsewhere it is simply back bacon. It refers to any lean meaty cut of bacon, and is sometimes used as a pizza topping. In Canada back bacon is sometimes known as peameal bacon, which refers to a specific variety of unsmoked lean bacon that has been sweet pickle-cured and coated in yellow cornmeal (originally, as the name suggests, peameal was used). Other proteins, such as turkey and beef, can be made in the style of peameal bacon by employing this same sweet pickle and cornmeal process.

Often times in the US, products sold as "canadian bacon" are actually nothing more than pieces ham cut into circles and is not the true peameal bacon popular in Canada. Such "canadian bacon" is a popular ingredient in fast-food breakfast sandwiches, including the Egg McMuffin.