Question about "streaky" Bacon

[k_young221]

Question about Bacon

I'd like to try a recipe I have for slow-cooker bolognese sauce. One of the ingredients is "2 lean streaky bacon rashers (slices), rinded and finely chopped." My question is, "Huh?!" What does 'streaky' mean, and how do you rind bacon? And this may be a stupid question, but could I substitute bacon bits (the real kind, not imitation)? I'm pretty sure the answer would be no, but I don't usually have bacon around.

Thanks in advance,
~K

 

[Chef_Jimmy]

I don't know, but streaky could mean the fat and meat lines in the bacon, kinda like marbling in a steak. Rinded means cut off the tough side of the rind that is usually on thick slices bacon. I would not use bacon bits

 

[licia]

I would think it means bacon with lean and fat both - and with the skin removed. I don't see where you are from, but most bacon in the US (at least in a package) comes with the rind already removed.

 

[Andy M.]

You must be reading a recipe from Great Britain. Streaky bacon is American bacon. What they call bacon is more like Canadian bacon.

I would not use the bacon bits because the real bacon contributes very flavorful fat to the recipe. The bacon bits will not do that.

American bacon does not usually have a rind on it. Rind is the skin that has been removed from supermarket bacon.

 

[k_young221]

I am from the US. And when I do buy bacon, I get it in a package, so I didn't know bacon had a 'rind.'

Thanks for the fast responses!

~K

PS- I won't use bacon bits. =)

 

[Chef_Jimmy]

if you get slab bacon that is thick such as wright's, it does have a small rind, thin bacon that is layered in the pkg. does not.

 

[Caine]

If you don't normally buy bacon for your breakfast eating pleasure, you might be better off buying bacon ends and pieces from the butcher shop. They are the small pieces that are left after the butcher slices the regular bacon. It's cheaper per pound than a package of sliced bacon, and you're just goiung to chop it up anyway

 

[ironchef]

If it's an authentic bolognese sauce, the recipe should be calling for pancetta. But like Andy said, don't substitute bacon bits because there's no fat to render off in them, which means less flavor in the sauce.

 

[licia]

We eat bacon, but only the centers. If the center cut bacon is not on sale, I get regular bacon and cut the ends off for cooking and use only the center for breakfast and sandwiches. It keeps really well in the freezer.