Totally given up on bacon

[227bhp]

I'm not really missing it either.
I did enjoy it now and again, mainly at the weekend, but was becoming more and more concerned and annoyed by the foul stuff that comes out of it when cooked. The final straw was when I had to pause part way through frying some, lift it dripping out of the pan and pour the water down the sink That and the white stuff that forms on top.
Whether it would be any better at a farm shop or not I don't know, I don't have time to shop anywhere else but the Supermarket.

Decent quality Sausages at the weekend from now on.

[227bhp]

bigandclever said:

227bhp said:

I don't have time to shop anywhere else but the Supermarket.

And yet you seem to have access to the internet, loads of places do proper bacon delivery

I've never heard of dry bacon delivery online. There are cost implications too, although it has to be said, we're being conned there aswell. It looks like you're getting more for your money with water injected muck, but when it's dried out there isn't much left.

Anyhow bugger off, I'm enjoying my Toulouse.

Edited by 227bhp on Tuesday 30th August 10:15

[227bhp]

dapprman said:

HorneyMX5 said:

Cheap water filled bacon, nasty stuff.

Proper butchers bacon is awesome.

Except most the butchers I've tried use the same (probably due to local farms) brine cured cr*p, so also produce water and the white foam. There are some commercial dry cures that are fine - onyl one I can think of at present is the Heston sub-brand from Waitrose, but there are more.

This is it, i'm tending to think the practice is more rife than we realise.

[227bhp]

PugwasHDJ80 said:

brrapp said:

If you are able to happily give up bacon, why not simply give up on crap bacon and give yourself a treat every now and again with really good stuff straight from a local producer.
I've done the same with all meat, coffee and alcohol, I eat a vegetarian low toxin diet most of the time and only break the diet for very good quality stuff (fresh ground coffee, organic aged beef, dry cured bacon , single malts, real ale etc.) That way I get the health benefits of a low tox diet , but really enjoy my 'treats' when I do have them. It's reawakened my love for food and drink.

This is ezxactly what i'm trying to do and really applaud you

when a chicken can be bought for less than a pint of beer you know something is wrong in the production chain somewhere.

We are trying to eat much better meat but once a week as a treat- its no more expensive, but much much tastier!

It's supply and demand which brings the price differential, what % of the population eat chicken compared to drinking a pint at a pub? If everyone went to the pub for a beer every night (as was more popular years ago) it would go down in price.
Some things are easy to give up on, for me bacon is one. I did stop putting butter/marge whatever, on my sandwiches once (in a vain attempt at eating slightly healthier) and haven't looked back, it was easy.
Stopping having a drink on an evening? No chance!

I put lots of flavour on my cooking as I don't think my tastebuds are very sensitive and I do like very flavoursome food. I couldn't tell one chicken from another once it's been doused in garlic, herbs and roasted.
I do wonder how many could (in a blind test) I bet a lot couldn't.

Edited by 227bhp on Tuesday 30th August 10:45

[227bhp]

Can you get dry cured lean? Everytime I see it it's streaky. I think this maybe the heart of the matter, I want lean, dry cured and cheap

An interesting article here: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2010/04/a-guide-to-...

Bacon from an American's POV, seems theirs is all streaky, no lean stuff there.

[227bhp]

IanCormac said:

227bhp said:

It's supply and demand which brings the price differential, what % of the population eat chicken compared to drinking a pint at a pub? If everyone went to the pub for a beer every night (as was more popular years ago) it would go down in price.
Some things are easy to give up on, for me bacon is one. I did stop putting butter/marge whatever, on my sandwiches once (in a vain attempt at eating slightly healthier) and haven't looked back, it was easy.
Stopping having a drink on an evening? No chance!

I put lots of flavour on my cooking as I don't think my tastebuds are very sensitive and I do like very flavoursome food. I couldn't tell one chicken from another once it's been doused in garlic, herbs and roasted.
I do wonder how many could (in a blind test) I bet a lot couldn't.

Edited by 227bhp on Tuesday 30th August 10:45

Sorry mate but you're talking crap. My missus is a brilliant cook and cooks using the local butchers chickens, which are excellent. On the occasions they have ran out and we've had to use supermarket chicken, there's a big difference. The best best thing to do would be firstly get yourself a good butcher and get proper meat from them and secondly get a better wife who will cook them properly.

Job done.

I know, she cooks for me very well.
So you know what my own tastebuds are telling me and that I have a wife? What an idiot, very good

A recent TV series called 'Eat well for less' proved multiple times that much of the general public cannot tell one food or drink from another when they didn't know exactly what it was they were actually eating or drinking.
There is one thing you cannot argue with and tell someone they are right or wrong, that thing is taste.

Edited by 227bhp on Thursday 1st September 17:10

[227bhp]

I had closer look last time I was in Tesco, the water injected variety is half the cost of the dry cured and marked as 89% pork (rest was additives including of course water). I got some dry cured; on cooking it the stuff that looks like egg white still appeared on top and the bacon didn't have much taste.
I don't have the time nor money to go hunting round the countryside looking for various different places just for bacon.
Back to sausages for me. True they have crap in them too, but they're tastier and much better value, done in the oven or grill gets a lot of fat out.

[227bhp]

Kermit power said:

These look like they might be lean enough for you!

I've got a packet on order for Sunday morning.

You're right in a way of course; fat is flavour, but as I get older, fatter and watch the scare campaigns on TV I start to become more aware of what I'm pushing into my mouth. 'You don't eat with your eyes' My Mother always said, but we do. I realised I'm buying bacon, cooking the water out of it (until it's actually boiling in the pan) and cutting the fat off it so it's now gone. I'm not anti-bacon, I still eat it if given, just largely don't bother with it myself anymore.

[227bhp]

xstian said:

I gave up buying supermarket bacon a long time ago. I used to buy it from the butcher which was fine, but I now dry cure my own. This is by far the best bacon I've ever had (modesty was never a strong point). I know its not for everyone, but its really easy and doesn't take much time really. Cost wise its really cheap and I still buy the pork loin from the butcher or local small holding.

It does get a little addictive though. I've now got a cold smoker and I've just finished some streaky for Christmas which was cured with Juniper berry and cloves. I've also got Salami, Chorizo and Pancetta curing at the moment.

But you will have bowel cancer quite soon.

• Playing Devils advocate here.

[227bhp]

Yes that looks good, you've nailed it in your post though, it's Gammon.
I wonder if the butcher will slice me thin gammon (I have no bacon slicer at home).

[227bhp]

mattdaniels said:

227bhp said:

Yes that looks good, you've nailed it in your post though, it's Gammon.

Gammon is from the hind leg. That bacon is from the back of the neck.

Fastchas said:

I'd hope that was cheaper than back, middle or streaky bacon?

The price is in the first picture.

If it swims like a fish and tastes like a fish it is a fish

But yeah you got me thinking, so I picked up a big lump of Gammon today, dragged it home and hacked it into rough slices the best I could. It's still got the same water content, but lean and the same price as cheap bacon so it's a bit of an improvement. You can't have everything, so some er, rustic bacon sarnies coming up over the next few weeks.