What is it about bacon that makes a grown man just fall on to their knees. It’s as if the smoky smell lifts them straight out of their soft warm bed and brings them to their hands and knees in crawling positions straight into the kitchen where they hope for the chance to snag pieces of Juicy Strips of Succulent Crispy Cooked BACON off the stove.
Oh Sorry! I was getting ahead of myself, let me wipe the drool off my laptop as we speak.
But for real guys… Is it that serious?!
HELL YEAH it is! 🙂
Now let me ask you this do you find Pancetta and Prosciutto to have that same affect…
Why not? Doesn’t it all come from the same sweet tasting pork belly part of the pig?
Dang I did it again, I started dreaming of bacon!
Although these three look alike, taste similar and are used in replace for one another, they are in deed very different. If your not sure why or how then.
Ssshhhhhhhh, step closer….
a little closer……..
(Ok! a little too close)…..
Let me tell you!
Lets start off with my favorite, I uhhhh mean your favorite, Bacon. 😉
Bacon and Pancetta have the most in common with one another. They are both cured the same duration of time and are found in the pork belly part of our friend, mr piggy. They are both given and received raw and need to be cooked thoroughly before eating.
Bacon is different because it is cured through either a process of soaking in brine or using plain salt (dry curing). If bacon is dry cured, which means that it is put through a cold-smoking process where the bacon isn’t actually heated or cooked during smoking and remains raw. This process can take up to eighteen hours depending on the intensity desired and the types of woods used to give the flavor wanted.
(Image: Ambrosiana/Flickr)
Pancetta (pictured above) on the other hand is cured and unsmoked. It is the pork belly that has been salt cured and spiced. Bacon and pancetta can be substituted with one another in any dish.
(Image: Rev. Santino/Flickr)
Prosciutto (pictured above) is very different from the two, bacon and pancetta. I know that pancetta and prosciutto sounds very similar so be careful when saying them because its very easy to get them confused. Prosciutto is the Italian word for ham. It comes from the hind leg of the pig. It is a dry cured ham always sliced thin and served uncooked.
Which one is your favorite?
