Bacon, bacon, bacon. That is the craze and everyones favorite. For god’s sake people get married at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival now. You can even secure things with bacon duck tape! What about the other pork products that look, taste, and feel like bacon? We’re talking about pancetta and prosciutto. These three pork products taste somewhat similar, and look somewhat similar. Their characteristics are very unique which makes unique prep characteristics. Here’s the squeal on each of their differences.

Bacon

is also cured (pork belly), like pancetta, but since it’s bacon, it’s gotta go one step further: the meat is smoked after it’s been cured. It’s not your normal smoking of meats. It’s done cold so that the bacon stays raw.

Pancetta

is simply cured. All that means is that it has been salted, and it could be infused with spices and other flavors to get a particular taste. You’ll usually find pancetta sliced paper thin, or cubed.

Prosciutto

is made from the hind leg of a pig (ie, the ham). Curing prosciutto can take anywhere from a few months to a several years depending on the desired result. It too is sliced paper thin.

 

There are a lot of great places around town to get great, local bacon. In fact, check out Fareway stores across the state, and if you’re in Des Moines Feb 28, 2014Nick Lucs