Differences between bacon and pancetta

Are you one of those people who believes that bacon and bacon are the same? In fact, there is a lot of confusion with these two terms and it is that they are two similar products used in infinite recipes of world gastronomy. But how are they different? At Enrique Tomás, as experts in products that come from pork, we are going to clear up your doubts. We tell you the 5 differences between bacon and bacon !

5 keys that differentiate bacon from bacon

What is bacon?

Bacon is a product that is extracted from the meat of different parts of the pig , such as the ribs, belly or stomach. In this case, its meat is leaner than bacon and does not contain as much fat.

In the curing process, it is salt-cured for a certain time and marinated with some spices and aromatic ingredients.

Although it is cured for a while with salt, marinade and butter, bacon - like bacon - must be cooked before eating it , it cannot be eaten raw.

What is bacon or bacon?

Bacon or bacon, in addition to being an Anglo-Saxon word that the RAE already accepts as "bacon", is a meat product made up of the skin and fat of the pig, but in a mixed way.

Bacon also goes through a curing process, but after being cured it is smoked to give the product a more intense flavor.

types of bacon

In the market we can find several types of bacon and not all of them come from pork.

• Pork garter or bacon collar
• canadian bacon
• english bacon
• duck bacon
• wild boar bacon
• Dewlap
• guanciale or jowl bacon
• lamb bacon
• beef bacon
• turkey bacon
• Rustic bacon or cottage bacon.

As you have seen, not all of them are made of pork , while bacon is a product that is only given this name when we talk about pork.

Where does pork bacon come from?

If you're wondering where bacon comes from, don't get confused again: bacon, like pancetta, is also taken from the belly area of ​​the pig and that's why they look so similar.

In the United States or in European countries such as the United Kingdom or Central Europe, there is no difference between bacon and bacon, but in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, countries with a culture of pork, there is.

We can then say that bacon is the part of the pork that covers the ribs and that it has a significant fat content, which is why it has so much flavor.

How to cook bacon or bacon?

Both products are very versatile and serve to season and accompany many dishes. How to prepare bacon or bacon? The easiest way is to pass it through a hot frying pan for a few minutes.

Although it can also be used to flavor different types of legumes, stews, salads, etc. or as a seasoning in pasta dishes such as the famous carbonara.

Main differences between bacon and bacon

In conclusion, although there are many similarities between bacon and bacon, there are also some differences to take into account that will help you become an expert on the subject:

1. The main difference is that bacon, when cured, is not smoked, while bacon is. The bacon is cured with salt and different types of spices to give it flavor, but it does not go through a smoking process.
   
   
2. The bacon is smoked after being cured and it is a process that is carried out cold with different types of wood. Like pancetta, bacon needs to be cooked to eat it.
   
   
3. The meat of the bacon is leaner than that of the bacon. Therefore, bacon is softer than bacon, since it contains a higher amount of lipids.
   
   
4. Bacon and bacon are also marketed differently . The latter is sold sliced, in cubes or as a sausage, very similar to Italian bacon.
   
   
5. Pork belly and smoked bacon also differ in that bacon is a much fresher product. The smoking process that bacon undergoes intensifies its flavor and reduces its freshness.

Careful! ham is something else

When talking about ham, although they are also meat products derived from pork, the context is different.

Sweet ham, cooked ham or York ham comes from the white pig breed and has a different curing time than Serrano or Iberian ham. To learn more about the differences between sausages and cured meats we recommend: "The healthiest sausages and cured meats".

On the other hand, when we talk aboutSerrano ham or Iberian ham, we are referring to the hind leg of a pig, which has undergone a salt-curing process and which, with care and time, has become a star product of our gastronomy.

Serrano ham

Serrano ham can be found all over the world, as we have said, depending on the breed of white pig that it comes from and the treatment and curing time that it is given, we can identify different flavors, qualities or characteristics that are what differentiate the ham of each region or country.

At Enrique Tomás we offer the Gran Reserva Gran Reserva Ham, a selected ham following very exhaustive quality controls. In the curing process we keep enough fat so that the ham can be cured for 18 months, exceeding the curing time of the rest of Serrano hams on the market.

Iberian ham

Although it is pretentious to say it, Iberian ham is the jewel in the crown, the most precious range and one of the star products of world gastronomy. This type of ham comes from a unique breed in the world: the Iberian pig.

The Iberian pig is a unique species with characteristics that differentiate it from other animals of the same species, such as the ability to infiltrate fat into muscle. That makes its meat, after a long curing process of more than 24 months, practically melts in your mouth.

• Discover the types of Iberian ham in our online store.

At Enrique Tomás , as the ham experts that we are, we not only find it important that you know the differences between bacon and bacon and other products derived from pork, but we also want you to become a ham guru, our star product.

In our stores you will find the full range of Iberian products to buy ham or shoulder in the most comfortable and practical formats on the market. We will wait for you! So you can start enjoying this delight.