There are 7 differences between pork belly and bacon, what's the difference?
Pork belly and bacon are both derived from the belly of the pig, which has led to confusion over which one to go for when smoking or grilling your next cut of BBQ pork.Everything you need to know about the differences between pork belly and bacon can be found in our in-depth guide.
While bacon is often derived from the belly of the pig, what sets it apart is that it is cured, dried, and smoked before use.
The pork cut always has us coming back for more, whether it is on the grill or smoked low and slow.
It is a versatile meat ingredient that can be used in a variety of ways, and its rich salt and fat content allows it to elevate almost any dish it is added to.
Pork belly is a cut of meat that is revered but not as much as bacon.It is used in high-end restaurants and is similar to bacon.
What are the most important differences between them?
We are going to take a deep dive into where each of them comes from, how they taste, and how best to use them.
Pork belly is a cut of meat that comes from the belly of the pig.
The cut of pork can be cooked in a variety of ways.It has a tender texture that makes it easy to cook, and allows the meat to melt in your mouth.
Pork belly is cheap when compared to other cuts, like pork tenderloin.
Pork belly used to be ground down to make other types of pork, like sausage, and not really bought as an ingredient by itself.
Nowadays, more and more people are making the most of the meat.The surge in popularity has not led to a price surge.
That doesn't mean that this is always the case.While bacon can come from the belly, it can also be taken from other parts of the animal.When buying bacon, your butcher or supermarket may label where the bacon was taken from.This isn't always the case.
It is possible to cut bacon from the sides, back, shoulder and loin.
The curing that bacon undergoes before cooking is what makes it bacon.Over the course of a week, this process draws the water out of the meat with salt.It is left to dry for up to 24 hours before being smoked over.
One of the biggest differences between bacon and pork belly is the meat prep that happens before cooking.
Pork belly can be smoked almost directly after being cut, but bacon needs to go through strict curing and smoking before being cooked.
While a lot of people focus on the cure, the smoking stage changes the texture of the bacon in a profound way that really takes it to that stage we know so well.
It makes sense that bacon is more expensive than pork belly because of the curing and smoking process.
Adding salt and nitrates to bacon makes it taste better, and it takes days to cure it.
Pork belly doesn't have the same number of Additives tacked on after it's cut.Because it is not cured, it does not have any salt added to it.
Pork belly is more tender and softer.It tends to lend itself to a greater variety of cooking methods.
There is a word of warning.The fat in pork belly will turn rubbery if you overcook it or allow it to dry out.
bacon is great, but it is a great meat ingredient to add to elevate recipes.
It can be added to some dishes to make them more salty, but it is also great with sweet dishes.
Pork belly adds a richer layer of flavor to dishes.It is well used with East Aisan dishes in China and The Philippines.
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve pork belly.
Egg and sausage breakfast is one of the most obvious ways to serve bacon.Why don't you stop there?