Which part of a pig is bacon

The main cuts of bacon are:

• Side bacon, or streaky bacon, comes from pork belly. It is very fatty with long layers of fat running parallel to the rind. This is the most common form of bacon in the United States. Pancetta is Italian side bacon, smoked or "aqua" (unsmoked), with a strong flavor.
• Middle bacon, from the side of the animal, is intermediate in cost, fat content, and flavor between streaky bacon and back bacon.
• Back bacon (called Irish bacon/Rashers or Canadian bacon in the United States) comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig. It is a very lean, meaty cut of bacon, with less fat compared to other cuts. It has a ham-like texture. Most bacon consumed in the United Kingdom is back bacon.
• Cottage bacon is 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.
• Slab bacon typically has a medium to very high fraction of fat. It is made from the belly and side cuts, and from fatback.

Joints

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. It is fairly lean, but tougher than most pork cuts.

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share

Share

Share to social media

Facebook Twitter

URL

Give Feedback

External Websites

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• The Spruce Eats - What Is Bacon?

Print Cite

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share

Share to social media

Facebook Twitter

URL

External Websites

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• The Spruce Eats - What Is Bacon?

By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Article History

bacon

See all media

Related Topics:meat pork guanciale pig...(Show more)

See all related content →

bacon, a side of a pig that, after removal of the spare ribs, is cured, either dry or in pickle, and smoked. Some varieties, notably Canadian bacon, are cut from the loin portion of the pork, which is more lean.

Bacon was for centuries the staple meat of the western European peasantry. Varieties distinguished by cut of meat or curing process became standardized in association with particular countries or regions, such as the Irish or various Italian styles. The relatively long storage life of bacon made it the only meat to gain importance as an international trade commodity in the late 19th century.

cuts of pork

In the United States in the 20th century, bacon is generally marketed in five standard styles: slab, regular sliced, thin sliced, thick sliced, and ends and pieces. Slab bacon is taken from the side or belly of a hog that has been cured for 10–14 days under refrigeration, then cooked and smoked; it contains streaks of lean and fat, and one side is usually covered with skin. Sliced bacon is cut from the slab; it is usually shingled for packaging, with the outer skin removed.

Bacon has an extremely high fat content and is therefore not an especially nutritious meat. By weight, raw American-style bacon contains only about 8.5 percent protein. Also, most bacon, like other commercially cured meats, contains the additive sodium nitrite, the possible carcinogenic properties of which generated controversy in the late 1970s.

Learn about the chemical compounds and their reactions which gives bacon their delicious aroma

See all videos for this article

Bacon is widely enjoyed for its unique, smoky flavour. It is a favourite with eggs and is used in the preparation or garnishment of a wide variety of dishes.