The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 150

WETVERSUSDRYCURES

B

y now, you must have seen that high-falutin’

bacon that seems to be invading every farmers’
market and supermarket in the country (not to
mention online sources). Is it worth its premium
price?Asfarasflavorisconcerned,that’ssimplya
matter of personal preference. But there’s a far
more compelling reason to pick the fancy stuff over
the standard supermarket brands, and it’s in the
cure.
All bacon is cured—that is, treated with salt in
order to alter the structure of its proteins and
preserve it. Traditionally, the cure was a dry cure:
salt (often with other seasonings) was rubbed onto
slabsofporkbelly.Overthecourseofafewweeks,
the salt worked its way into the belly at a leisurely
pace,whilethemeatslowlylostmoisture.Theresult
was a dense hunk of deeply flavored belly with
relatively little residual moisture. Many high-end
baconsarenowproducedusingthistime-consuming
method.
Mostsupermarketbacons,ontheotherhand,are
curedwithawetcure:asaltwatersolutionisinjected
intothemeatinmanyspots.Withthistechnique,the
salt can penetrate the meat much faster.What once
took weeks is accomplished in a matter of days. Of

course, with the injection of added water and
insufficient time to dry, this shortcut bacon is far
wetterthandry-curedbacon,withtworesults.First,
it means that you’re paying more for it than meets
the eye.That 1-pound package contains at least an
ounce or two of added water weight. Second—and
moreimportant—itwon’tcookthesameway.
Try it: fry a piece of regular supermarket bacon
sidebysidewithastripofhigh-enddry-curedbacon.
The supermarket bacon will shrink and curl
considerably more than the dry-cured bacon as its
moisture evaporates. It’ll also spit and sputter far
more,duetotheexcesswaterdropletsit’sexpelling
as it cooks. So, putting flavor aside, if you’re
constantly enraged by bacon grease sputtering onto
yourstovetoporthatdarnedstripthat justwon’tlie
flat,youmaywanttoconsiderswitchingtoabacon
producedthetraditionalway,withadrycure.
By cooking bacon over low heat, the shrinkage
differential can be minimized, keeping your bacon flatter
and allowing it to cook more evenly.A large heavy skillet
withevenheatdistributionisessential.
Want to cook bacon for a crowd? Do it in the oven.An
ovenheatsmuchmoreevenlythanaskilletdoes,delivering
perfectlycrispbaconbythetrayful.