Bacon vs. Pork Belly: What’s the Difference? - Just Cook by ButcherBox (2024)

FAQs

Bacon vs. Pork Belly: What’s the Difference? - Just Cook by ButcherBox? ›

Pork belly is unsmoked and uncured, while what we know of as bacon can sometimes undergo a lot of processing—not our ButcherBox bacon, however. Pork belly is sourced from the belly of a pig, while bacon can be sourced from different parts of the pig such as the back, collar, shoulder, and jowls.

Curing: The true difference between pork belly and bacon is the curing process—while pork belly is uncured meat, bacon is a cured meat that undergoes preservation with salt and nitrates to preserve the meat, extend its shelf life, and prevent spoilage, bacterial growth, and botulism.

You should consider using pork belly instead of bacon when you desire a richer and more tender texture in your dishes. Pork belly's higher fat content and marbling contribute to its succulence when braised, roasted, or slow-cooked, making it ideal for dishes where a melt-in-your-mouth experience is desired.

Bacon is a product of pork produced after curing the pork and can be eaten raw or after cooking. It does not undergo curing process. Being a cured meat, It has to undergo curing process. It is mostly used to add meat to dishes.

Is it Cheaper to Make Your Own Bacon? This answer depends on how you source your pork belly and what kind of bacon you compare the cost to. If you've raised and butchered your own hogs, then the cost of your pork belly will be less than what you can buy it for from the grocery store.

Cook approximately 1.5 hours, though a lot will depend on the size of your pork belly. You want to cook until the internal temperature is 160-165°F. Remove meat from oven and remove salt crust. It should come off in pieces.

You can also slice pork belly using a sharp knife. It's best if the belly is cold to slice it easiest. You now have cured and smoked bacon you made at home. Thick slices of bacon are meatier and chewier, while thin slices are easy to get crispy.

It goes back to the elementary lessons of supply and demand. According to market analysis, pork bellies' supply is tight. The latest Cold Storage report by the USDA shows stocks of frozen bellies at a record low. Basically, the bacon stash is depleted, and it is time to restock the freezers.

Thaw sliced pork belly. Heat dry cast iron skillet over med/medium low heat (about 4 out of 10). Fry bacon to desired crispness, turning at least once. Immediately after removing bacon from skillet, salt to taste with sea salt.

What is pork belly called in the store? ›

So, streaky pork bacon is pork belly, but pork belly isn't bacon. Instead, pork belly is the whole slab cut from the fleshy underside of a pig. Streaky pork bacon is cut from this slab. Pork belly is unsmoked and uncured, while much bacon found in the U.S. can undergo a lot of processing—not ButcherBox bacon, though.

Yes, pork belly can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation and balanced with other nutritious foods. Is pork belly high in cholesterol? Pork belly does contain cholesterol, but dietary cholesterol has less impact on blood cholesterol levels than previously believed. However, moderation is still key.

Grilled pork belly is often served as a main course or as an ingredient in dishes like sandwiches or sliders. Sliced pork belly: sliced into thin or thick pieces and served as an ingredient in other dishes, such as sandwiches, salads, or stir-fries.

It's versatile. Pork belly's tender texture lends itself to a range of cooking methods, and it benefits from low-and-slow cooking to render out some of its fat. This can be accomplished in the oven with slow-roasting, over indirect heat or smoked on a grill, or it can be braised or boiled.

If you use as much bacon as you would pork belly in a dish, you'll probably end up with something far too high in salt content. You can think of bacon as a specific preparation of pork belly, very thinly sliced and cured with salts, nitrates, and nitrites, which apparently give it its deep pink color, per MasterClass.

Curing your own bacon, at least once, is a great experience for any meat enthusiast. Although it's a fairly lengthy process (at least, compared to running to the store and just buying some), it is a wholly satisfying one, and in addition to the sense of achievement it also yields some tasty rewards.

The tender pork belly is most often used to make bacon, but there are other ways to appreciate this cut. Braise or roast it and enjoy the unique milky flavor – so different from cured bacon or conventional pork.

A rasher (slice) of British back bacon absolutely needs to contain both pork belly and pork loin in order to even be considered suitable for a traditional full English breakfast, the combination of the two different pieces of pork, each with its own characteristics, blend to create bacon heaven and nobody does this cut ...

Pork belly isn't the stomach. Pork belly is the slab of meat from the underside or belly of the pig. It might not sound very appealing, but trust me, it's sooooo good! Here's what raw pork belly looks like.