What is bacon – varieties and composition, use in cooking and cooking delicious dishes with recipes

The content of the article

• What is the difference between bacon and fat
• Varieties
• Structure
• The use of bacon
• In cooking
• In the meat industry
• Contraindications
• How to choose pork fat
• How to cook bacon at home
• At home
• Hungarian
• Lard recipes
• Meat patties with zucchini and carrots
• Buckwheat porridge with mushrooms and bacon
• Minced meat pancakes
• Dutch cabbage
• Beef and Sour Cabbage Bigos
• Potato drachan
• Stuffed chicken
• Italian soup
• French sausage
• Goose liver paste

Most peoples on the planet have a tradition of eating animal fat for food or for medical purposes: pork, bear, camel, goose, etc. For the Slavic peoples, pork subcutaneous fat has become traditional (religious groups like Muslims and Jews make an exception). Salo is an integral part of the culinary culture for the Slavs, and the methods of salting or smoking it are difficult to count.

What is the difference between bacon and fat

In fact, all the subcutaneous fat of a pig that is used for one purpose or another is called fat. Lard (or lard) is a salted or salted-smoked tenderloin of lard from certain parts of the pig’s body. Use this product to fill meat delicacies, create different dishes and in its pure form as a snack or addition to the side dish. Salo in its pure form is not suitable for everyone because of the specifics of the structure, and a huge number of options for cooking shpig allows any gourmet to choose a dish to taste.

Varieties

Bacon has three main types of salted or smoked fat, which differ in structure, tolerance to processing, place of cutting:

• The fat, taken from the sides of the pork carcass, has a loose consistency, easily melts when heated. Use it for shepherd as part of sausages of the first and second grade, ham delicacies.
• Lard bacon is an excellent binding agent, which is required for the production of minced meat, semi-finished products, sausage products.
• The bacon from the ridge of the carcass of a pig has a characteristic pattern of streaks of meat. It does not lend itself well to thermal effects, does not creep into the finished product, and retains an attractive appearance. Spike bacon is used for the production of higher grades of sausages, salting, smoking.
• Separately, the highest grade of the product, the so-called Iberian, is separated. It is obtained from pig breeds of the same name. The lard in this bacon is pure white or pinkish. Use it in its pure form or as an additional flavoring aspect in elite varieties of sausages.

Structure

90% of fennel consists of animal fat, but the protein in it is only up to 1.5% (almost perfect quality). The product has a huge amount of healthy organic and extremely fatty acids, vitamins, nutrients. It is important to remember that in a self-made bacon it is possible to control additional elements in the composition, while a product purchased in a store cannot be checked for the content of unwanted elements. The energy value of 100 grams is approximately 841 kcal. The basic composition of the shepherd is as follows:

• animal fat;
• defective proteins (elastin and collagen);
• oleic, linolenic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, arachidonic and other acids (vitamin F);
• vitamins A, D, E;
• carotene.

The use of the product for medical purposes in classical therapy came from traditional medicine. Basically, its properties were used to treat joint pain due to a large amount of collagen, which restores cartilage. In small quantities, shpig helps to prevent cholesterol plaques, varicose veins, stimulates the production of hormones, and boosts immunity. Fat is used in the treatment of colds as a warming agent..

Bacon or bacon is considered a powerful means for rejuvenation with a regenerative effect. Collagen and a large set of vitamins trigger regenerative processes in the skin, stimulate the normal functioning of the vessels of the brain and various body systems. Folk preparations based on fat have a long shelf life (in the refrigerator). It is even allowed to use natural flavors in such products, if a person does not like the smell.

The use of bacon

Salty or salted-smoked lard is used as an independent dish, an additive for sausages, an ingredient for other dishes, as a grease in the heat treatment of products. The average consumption of shpig in Russia is approximately 450 thousand tons per year. In addition to the Russian Federation and traditionally Ukraine, fat is cooked in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and other European countries. The exceptions are Muslim countries and Israel, where the pig is considered an unclean animal, and religious taboos prohibit the eating of any part of it..

In cooking

Bacon, in addition to an independent dish or appetizer, is used as a component of different dishes: it is stewed, boiled, salted. Shpik is an ingredient in folk recipes from different countries: Hungary, Poland, Russia, Germany, etc. Shpig becomes a kind of taste accent or the main note in dishes, depending on the method of cooking lard, combining with other products and spices.

In the meat industry

The product is used as a component to create all types of sausages and meat products:

• Spinal is used for the production of textured, combined multilayer products due to its good resistance to heat treatment, density and specific pattern.
• Lateral more often acts as an additional component of shpiganiye for sausages of the second and first grades, sausages, sausages, etc. It is well drowned at not the highest temperature, softens the main meat mass, adds fat and flavor.

Contraindications

A product of such a fat content as bacon is not useful to everyone. Its use in large quantities leads to obesity of people prone to this because of its high calorie content. Fat provokes the accumulation of bad cholesterol, which leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases. The daily norm is approximately 30-40 grams of bacon. The product should be excluded from the diet for patients with diseases of the liver, gall bladder, bile ducts, cholesterol metabolism disorders, individual product intolerance.

How to choose pork fat

Ideally, fat should be bought in specialized stores, but they sell the finished product. If you want to cook bacon yourself, then you have to go to the market. It is important to check the presence of a veterinary stamp for meat certification, which will protect to some extent from helminthiasis and other diseases. The product should be evenly sprinkled with salt (if this product is specific), a uniform structure, white or pink on the cut. The difference between bacon and fat is that the first in most cases has to be additionally prepared.

How to cook bacon at home

It is more convenient to cook lard at home from the point of view that you can control the recipe, change the set of ingredients, be sure that the technology has been fully matured. The product itself at the end becomes more dense, gets different flavoring aspects (depending on the components used), of course, changes color when smoking or using different spices. Hungarian and home-made lard are considered to be the most common due to easy recipes and great taste..

At home

For bacon marinade at home, you don’t need anything specific that cannot be found in ordinary kitchen. A liter of water will require 100 grams of salt, bay leaf, garlic (1 head), allspice and black pepper (to taste). 1 kilogram of fat is thoroughly washed and dried. The skin needs to be scrubbed white with a sharp knife. Salo is put in the marinade, brought to a boil, cooked for 10 minutes. Then it should be removed from the fire and left in the brine for 3-4 hours outside the sunlight. At night, put in the same liquid in the refrigerator. After that, get the shpig, dry it and you can serve it on the table.

Hungarian

Hungarian shpig is considered an excellent independent snack during feasts. The main feature of this recipe is a large amount of paprika. A piece of fat is washed, dried and cleaned. In the mass, deep holes are made where garlic cloves are inserted. Then mix salt, wig and pepper in a ratio of 3/1/1. Thickly rub the fat with the mixture, wrap it in two layers of foil and send the refrigerator overnight. The next day, it can be transferred to a dish and left in the cold for 2 days or baked at 50 degrees for 2.5-3 hours.

Lard recipes

For cooking, you can use bacon of any salting or smoking. It all depends solely on the taste preferences of the cook. The only condition is that the lard must be fully prepared, otherwise the meaning of adding it is lost (the resulting dish will simply become fatter without any taste variations). It is worth recalling that the constant nutrition of such foods leads to health problems, so they should be alternated with light and wholesome foods..

Meat patties with zucchini and carrots

• Cooking time: 90 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 5 Persons.
• Calories: 224 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: addition to a side dish or a stand-alone dish.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: medium difficulty.

Classic cutlets according to this recipe are diluted with vegetables and shpig, which makes them juicy, soft, with a special taste. In terms of volume, it turns out that carrots and zucchini in the finished dish are almost as much as meat. This combination reduces the negative burden on the body, complements the dish with vitamins and minerals, and different types of shpig will constantly change their taste.

Ingredients

• pork, beef or pork-ground beef – 500 g;
• zucchini – 200 g;
• carrots – 100 g;
• onions – 50-60 g;
• pork fat – 50 g;
• small oatmeal – 40 g;
• breadcrumbs or flour;
• salt, pepper mixture – to taste;
• vegetable oil – 2-4 tbsp. l.

Cooking method

1. Stuffing minced with finely chopped onions.
2. Pass the shpig 2-3 times through a meat grinder or grind in a blender.
3. Peeled zucchini without seeds and grate carrots, mix with oatmeal.
4. Let the vegetables stand for 10-15 minutes.
5. Mix minced meat and vegetables, add seasoning, salt.
6. Knead hands until smooth, beat off on a table or board.
7. Form cutlets, roll them in breading or flour.
8. Frying in oil in a pan until ready takes about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the cutlet.

Buckwheat porridge with mushrooms and bacon

• Cooking time: 60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calories: 200 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: side dish, dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: simple.

Buckwheat porridge has always been one of the most popular in Russia. There are a lot of recipes, but one of the simplest was one – with mushrooms and bacon (lard). The dish turns out high-calorie, energetically valuable, rich in vitamins and minerals. However, a small amount of bacon does not become an obstacle for patients with gastrointestinal problems. Pieces of lard can be removed from the porridge, and the taste and special aroma will remain.

Ingredients

• buckwheat groats – 1 glass;
• lard-shpig – 50 g;
• dried mushrooms – 70 g;
• butter – 30 g;
• onions – 1 piece;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l .;
• fresh herbs, salt, pepper – to taste.

Cooking method

1. Sort out cereals and rinse thoroughly.
2. Boil mushrooms in water, finely chop into strips.
3. Pour the cereal into boiling salted water, bring it almost ready.
4. Bacon, finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
5. Lubricate the pots inside with butter.
6. Mix shpig, onion, porridge, spices and put in pots.
7. Put in the oven for 10 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
8. Before serving, garnish porridge with fresh herbs.

Minced meat pancakes

• Cooking time: 60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 5 Persons.
• Calories: 380 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: appetizer, lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Russian.
• Difficulty: simple.

Pancakes are considered one of the most popular and simple dishes. There is also a huge number of recipes that offer options from simple pancakes to complex designs stuffed with caviar, shrimp, collected not with simple envelopes, but with complex designs. Classic pancakes with minced meat and shpig are juicy and satisfying. Be sure to try!

Ingredients

• milk – 1 liter;
• chicken eggs – 2 pieces;
• flour – 300 g;
• butter – 150 g;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l .;
• sugar – 1 tbsp. l .;
• minced meat – 200 g;
• lard-shpig – 50 g;
• onions – 1 pc..

Cooking method

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, salt and mix thoroughly..
2. Add sugar, mix again.
3. Pour two thirds of the milk, whisk with a whisk.
4. Add flour in three stages, mixing the mixture with quality, so that no lumps form.
5. Melt the butter.
6. Pour the rest of the milk into the dough, followed by the melted butter.
7. Leave the dough to stand for 15 minutes.
8. Finely chop the onion, fry until light golden.
9. Add minced meat to the onion (salt, spices to taste), simmer until tender..
10. Pancakes are baked in a separate pan.
11. After cooking, put a tablespoon of the finished filling on the pancake and wrap in any form.

Dutch cabbage

• Cooking time: 70-80 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 5 Persons.
• Calories: 180 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Dutch.
• Difficulty: difficult.

The dish is a variation on the theme of cabbage rolls (the components are similar), but the taste differs dramatically. The whole secret is in cooking technology and spices. Initially, the recipe looks complicated, but after several times, even the cooking time will be reduced to an hour, if not less. Dutch stuffed cabbage will be an unexpected addition to any gala dinner or family dinner..

Ingredients

• mixed minced meat – 200 g;
• fat bacon – 50 g;
• white cabbage – half the average swing;
• onions – 1 large head;
• rice – 100 g;
• tomato – 1-2 pieces;
• carrots – 300 g;
• nutmeg powder -? tsp;
• salt, pepper – to taste.

Cooking method

1. Disassemble the cabbage into separate leaves, wash, leave the stalk.
2. Boil the leaves in salted boiling water for 5 minutes.
3. Drain the cabbage, save the broth.
4. Cook the rice almost until cooked (it should remain slightly solid).
5. Chop onion and carrots, spasser.
6. Add tomatoes, finely chopped shpig, stew for 2-3 minutes.
7. Mix vegetables, boiled rice, raw minced meat, add spices, salt.
8. Pour a little oil into a deep sheet, put the cob in the center.
9. Put a little mixture of minced meat, rice, vegetables on top.
10. Squeeze a small cabbage leaf.
11. Repeat steps 9-10 until you get a kind of original head out.
12. Press the last layer tightly, pour half a cup of cabbage broth.
13. Sprinkle the resulting structure with vegetable oil.
14. Send the baking sheet to the oven, preheated to about 150 degrees, for 5 minutes.
15. Minimize fire.
16. After 10 minutes, pour another half a cup of broth.
17. Cabbage is cooked for half an hour.
18. Serve hot.

Beef and Sour Cabbage Bigos

• Cooking time: 40-50 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 5 Persons.
• Calories: 273 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Polish.
• Difficulty: simple.

Pure sauerkraut is an excellent and tasty dish, but it is the basis for a great addition to a side dish and even an independent snack: bigus (bigos). There are many options for additional ingredients: mushrooms, meat, onions, tomatoes, prunes, red or white wine, various spices. Bigos with meat and shpig is perfect for a hearty full meal with a full range of vitamins, micro and macro elements.

Ingredients

• svlo – 200 g;
• sauerkraut (pickled) – 3 cups;
• meat broth – 1 glass;
• roast beef – 500 g;
• flour -? Art. l .;
• onions – 1 pc.;
• hard cheese (parmesan) – 100 g;
• breadcrumbs – 30 g.

Cooking method

1. Put in the pan part of the shpig, cut into pieces, cabbage.
2. On top is another row of fat, cut into thin slices.
3. Pour the broth, simmer in the oven over low heat.
4. Finely chop the beef, add pepper to taste, chopped onion, add it all to the pan, mix and simmer until the sauce is completely boiled..
5. Put the resulting mass into a deep pan.
6. Sprinkle with butter, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, grated cheese.
7. Put in the cooling oven for half an hour.

Potato drachan

• Cooking time: 30-40 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calories: 140 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Slavic.
• Difficulty: simple.

Drachena (potato woman) – a popular recipe in Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian cuisine. The dish is simple, quick, hearty and great for breakfast, but at any other time it will be out of place. Variations of recipes exist different, but the basis is invariably laid grated raw potatoes, like on potato pancakes. Drachana is traditionally served with sour cream and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

• potatoes – 6 pcs.;
• flour – 2 tbsp. l .;
• fat bacon – 30 g;
• chicken egg – 1 pc.;
• soda -? tsp;
• sour cream – to taste;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• salt, spices to taste.

Cooking method

1. Peel potatoes, grate it on a coarse grater.
2. Fold in a pan or bowl.
3. Add eggs, spices, salt.
4. Mix until smooth.
5. Finely chop the onion and shpig, fry until golden in a pan.
6. Add to potato mass and mix again.
7. Lubricate the pan with vegetable oil, lay out the mass, evenly distribute in volume.
8. Put in the oven, preheated to 200-230 degrees.
9. Drachan is considered ready when a strong golden crust is formed.

Stuffed chicken

• Cooking time: 120 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 6 Persons.
• Calories: 240 kcal per 100 g.
• Destination: Dinner.
• Cuisine: Slavic.
• Difficulty: difficult.

The tradition of making dishes with a surprise dates back to the Middle Ages: geese stuffed with quails, boars with milk pigs inside and other culinary masterpieces are known to us from books. Chicken stuffed with pancakes and eggs will be a great addition to the table to surprise guests. The recipe is relatively complicated, but the result will not disappoint anyone and becomes a pleasant surprise.

Ingredients

• chicken – 1 medium carcass;
• pancakes – 8-10 pcs.;
• eggs – 6-8 pcs.;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l .;
• pork fat – 100 g;
• salt, spices to taste.

Cooking method

1. Wash and dry the chicken thoroughly.
2. Through the gutting site, remove the entire skin, leaving shins with wings.
3. Peel the salt, pepper, set aside for a while.
4. Remove meat from bones, twist in a meat grinder with onions and shpig.
5. Add one egg to the minced meat and knead.
6. Boil the rest of the eggs, cut into quarters.
7. Spread a tablespoon of minced meat evenly on each pancake, lay out the egg slices in one line, roll the pancake into a tube.
8. Stuffed chicken in rows of pancakes, alternating with the remaining minced meat.
9. Next, you need to stitch the place of gutting, straighten the skin, and tightly attach the wings and lower legs to the carcass.
10. Lubricate the chicken with mayonnaise, pierce the skin in several places with a toothpick.
11. Send to the oven for 1-1.5 hours at 180 degrees.
12. Before serving, remove the harnesses with which the limbs were pulled.

Italian soup

• Cooking time: 60 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Calories: 240 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: lunch.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty: simple.

Hot liquid dishes for modern Europe are considered national delicacies, although chowder was the basis of the diet 100 years ago. Italian soups are a bit like classic borsch, but have their own spicy specifics. In domestic cuisine, one of the most popular recipes can be prepared quickly and tasty, even without much culinary experience..

Ingredients

• water – 1.5 liters;
• carrots – 3 pcs.;
• parsley root – 1 pc.;
• fat bacon – 200 g;
• onions – 1 pc.;
• tomato – 4 pcs.;
• sausages – 300 g;
• cheese, cumin, pepper, salt – to taste.

Cooking method

1. Cut the shpig, fry in a pan with chopped onions.
2. Peel the carrots and parsley root, chop, put in hot water.
3. When it boils, add lard with onions and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
4. When serving, put slices of fresh tomato with hot sausages in a hot soup. You can sprinkle with spices, grated cheese or supplement with tomato dressing.

French sausage

• Cooking time: 8-10 days.
• Servings Per Container: 8-10 Persons.
• Calories: 350 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: appetizer.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty: medium.

Own sausage is more expensive than most products from the store. The advantage with independent smoking of meat products is that the owner himself chooses the recipe, spices and wood for smoke. French sausages have a cognac aftertaste; nutmeg and bacon in sausage add a special aroma. The meat itself is cooked relatively quickly – only 8-10 days and the loaf that can be prepared for the future is ready.

Ingredients

• beef – 500 g;
• pork – 500 g;
• fat bacon – 250 g;
• natural intestine 45-50 cm – 400 g;
• saltpeter – 1.5-2 g;
• alcohol or cognac – 25 g;
• allspice – 20 g;
• nutmeg – 3 g;
• bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
• sugar – 2 g;
• salt – 35-40 g.

Cooking method

1. Peel the meat from the films, rinse, cut into pieces of 25-30 g.
2. Pour 20 g of salt, mix, put in a cool dark place for 2 days.
3. After getting out, pass 2-3 times through a meat grinder with chopped bacon.
4. Add remaining ingredients, knead until viscous.
5. Spread the masses evenly on baking sheets 10-12 cm thick.
6. Soak inside a dark, cold room for 2-3 days.
7. Stuff with a mass of intestine, fix the ends with a tourniquet.
8. Hang inside a well-ventilated dark cold room for 2-3 days.
9. After smoking in cold smoke, to reduce carcinogens, until the shell is wrinkled.

Goose liver paste

• Cooking time: 60 days.
• Servings Per Container: 5 Persons.
• Calories: 330 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: appetizer.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty: simple.

A variety of pastes is a great way to deliciously diversify traditional meals, a great addition to tea or coffee. Recipes apply to many cuisines of the world, and not only in French, as it may seem. The goose liver paste presented below is called “Wings of the Soviets”. It was developed by Mikoyan himself in the 30s of the twentieth century.

Ingredients

• goose liver – 300 g;
• fat bacon – 30 g;
• rice – 30 g;
• onions – 50 g;
• carrots – 30 g;
• butter – 30 g;
• salt, pepper, spices, garlic – to taste.

Cooking method

1. Rinse the liver, put inside clay or earthenware dishes.
2. Add washed rice, chopped onion and other ingredients.
3. Cover and steam.
4. Pass the cooled mass through a meat grinder twice.
5. Strain the mass in butter for about 10 minutes.
6. Chilled paste served with lemon, herbs, olives, stewed cabbage.