Bacon Bacon Bacon

Photo courtesy Ray Family Farms N.C.

Before I start talking bacon I think it is only right that we pay homage to this great animal
 THE PIG!

The pig, or hog as it is called once it reaches maturity and gains over 120 lbs has a great sense of smell, which is why some can actually be trained to sniff out truffles.Sows which are the females will build nest's if allowed in which to lay down in and give birth.We have about 8 different species of pigs here in the US.Pigs are omnivores and will eat about anything given the opportunity,

This beautiful animal gives it's life so that we may enjoy some of the great delicacies that chefs around the world create,and us everyday home cooks can make for our families.

Photo courtesy Pinterest author unknown

Yes for most of us here in the South we believe that bacon is the answer for everything.We fry it, bake it grill it,wrap it around almost anything now a days, and frankly if your a bacon lover there just isn't many ways you wouldn't eat it..Honestly give me a big old bacon lettuce and tomatoes sandwich with mayonnaise and I am a happy camper.

Now most people are a Crisp bacon lover or a flimsy bacon lover and for me I like it a little in between..Yes there is that perfect time when cooking bacon that the fat has cooked and become a chewy bite of goodness that no other can mimic. OH yeah I'm salivating now.

Bacon and eggs...bacon gravy and biscuits,bacon hash,bacon and pancakes..Uh where I am going here? I guess I am planning out my breakfast in the morning.Big girls eat big (wink)

But seriously there are so many ways to utilize this great cut of pork,and breakfast isn't the only time it is eaten.We are being over taken with bacon desserts...Nope I'm not complaining.
As a matter of fact I have a awesome recipe for SWEET & SPICY PECAN BACON
However I did give Bacon Ice cream a try once and I must say it's a huge NOPE for me...I'm trying to be nice. Oh yes back to the great cuts of bacon.



Side Bacon... which comes from the belly is the most common for us here in the US.It has a higher fat content which is why I personally think it tastes so darn good.You can purchase it in thick or thin cuts..thin is my favorite but I will devour a thick cut just as fast.

Back Bacon... also called Canadian bacon here in the US comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the hog.It is much leaner,which is why I don't like it as well..O.K.I will be fair here,to me its just two totally different taste and each good in their own way..But hands down I want the fatty bacon!You know the kind that can leave you with greasy fingers.

Jowel Bacon...Oh I love this one as well,It is cut from the cheeks,very fatty,most of the time smoked and full of flavor.This one is great fried and ate like bacon or added to a pot of beans for slow cooking.

Fat Back...I'm kinda laughing at myself just because of the way I say Fat Back glad this isn't a video..lol.Fat Back is a cut from..your never gonna guess...The back and is very salty. Now a lot of folks around here,well about everyone I know will throw in a big hunk of this with their beans and let it cook all day.Great way to season..So now you may be saying, Jodie that's really not Bacon..well maybe not the way we normally think of bacon...but I will tell you what,I fry up slices of fat back just like bacon and I will slap in on a biscuit in a hot country minute.

I know not everyone likes or even approves of eating bacon but here in my family it has always been a staple you will find in the refrigerator.You will NEVER have any left over in my house,because somebody always says do you want the last piece of bacon?...... While already shoving it in their mouth.

Thanks to Ray Family Farms for the picture taken on their lovely farm.

Christopher Columbus took eight pigs on his voyage to Cuba in 1493. But it is Hernando de Soto who could be dubbed "the father of the American pork industry." He landed with America's first 13 pigs at Tampa Bay, Florida in 1539. - See more at: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/about_thehistoryofpork.aspx#sthash.FDmGGEEO.dpuf

Christopher Columbus took eight pigs on his voyage to Cuba in 1493. But it is Hernando de Soto who could be dubbed "the father of the American pork industry." He landed with America's first 13 pigs at Tampa Bay, Florida in 1539. - See more at: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/about_thehistoryofpork.aspx#sthash.FDmGGEEO.dpuf

Christopher Columbus took eight pigs on his voyage to Cuba in 1493. But it is Hernando de Soto who could be dubbed "the father of the American pork industry." He landed with America's first 13 pigs at Tampa Bay, Florida in 1539. - See more at: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/about_thehistoryofpork.aspx#sthash.FDmGGEEO.dpuf

Christopher Columbus took eight pigs on his voyage to Cuba in 1493. But it is Hernando de Soto who could be dubbed "the father of the American pork industry." He landed with America's first 13 pigs at Tampa Bay, Florida in 1539. - See more at: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/about_thehistoryofpork.aspx#sthash.FDmGGEEO.dpuf