Pork Bacon, Smoked

About this cut

From the belly of our own pigs, cured and smoked locally. It renders slowly and stays meaty instead of shattering into nothing the moment it hits the pan.

Good for

Start it in a cold pan over medium low and let it come up gradually; rushing bacon is how you end up with burnt edges and raw middles. For a crowd, a sheet pan in a 400 degree oven cooks it flat and hands off. Pour the fat into a jar and keep it by the stove.

From our kitchen

The fat goes into a jar by the stove, and that jar is half the reason we raise pigs.

We cook a pound at a time on a sheet pan in a 400 oven, flat and hands off, and pour the fat into a jar while it's still warm. That fat fries eggs, starts greens, goes into cornbread, and roasts potatoes better than anything else in this kitchen. The bacon itself mostly gets eaten standing at the counter before it ever reaches a plate.

Storage

Arrives frozen and vacuum sealed, and keeps about a year in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or quick thaw it in a bowl of cold water. Once it's thawed, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 2 to 3 days.