I overheard someone claim that “prosciutto” is the Italian word for “expensive Bacon.” “From a pig,” yes. “Delicious,” of course. “Makes everything better!” si signora …but prosciutto is not bacon, expensive or otherwise. Due to the unique dry curing process, prosciutto can be eaten without cooking, besides coming from a different cut of pork than does bacon. Many (like me) will claim that bacon’s flavor pales in comparison to prosciutto. Since bacon and prosciutto are unique cuts of meat, they are usually used in cuisines differently, so don’t swear off bacon just yet.
There is little in the U.S. that can compare to the quality of cut and sophistication of flavor in old world cured pork products. Is Amurkin bacon great? Of course, but I encourage you to explore some of the cured pork offerings from around the world, especially the Mediterranean. If you like bacon, even just a little bit, you will be duly impressed by what the Italians and Spaniards can do with a well fed pig.
Also well fed, Amurkin bacon is almost always made from pork belly. According to Wikipedia, bacon “is first cured in a brine or in dry packing, both containing large amounts of salt; the result is fresh bacon (also green bacon). Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating. Boiled bacon is ready to eat, as is some smoked bacon, but either may be cooked further before eating.” Two distinctive non-belly bacons are “fatback,” which is quite fatty (surprised?), and “back bacon,” which is leaner and hales from the pork loin region… and is extra scrumptious. Contrary to popular misconception, the “loin” cut of meat, no matter what the animal, is not from the “loins” region we normally associate with humans (think Beastmaster in a loincloth?), but is instead harvested from around the top of the ribs and back. It should also be noted, as long as we are clearing up some confusing terms, that pork “butt” comes from the shoulder area, not the rear end.
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