Good Bacon vs. Bad Bacon

[Clark]

It seems that the bacon we find at the supermarkets and butcher shops has just gotten worse over the last year or so. Yesterday, I smoked some Texas Twinkies and had a terrible time getting the slices apart. They had so much fat, and so little meat, that they just fell apart at the touch.

I like to wrap a lot of protein, such as shrimp, scallops, and some steaks. The thin, fatty bacon just won't work.

Your suggestions on brands that you like would be appreciated.

[Strat50]

In my neck of the woods, Fletcher's is my favorite. If I need something different, I go to my local butcher. It's worth the extra money for me, as I can really dial in what I want.

[DavidNorcross]

Wrights bacon is my go to from the store. Excellent.

[Oak Smoke]

+1

[Mr. Bones]

Donw
Fer store boughten, prepackaged, Wright's works good fer me...
(In a Time Pinch, Natch. )

[texastweeter]

Best supermarket bacon I have found is for sure Wrights. My favorite overall comes from Robertson's Hams outside Wills Point TX on I 20

[Hulagn1971]

My go to is Curtis brand but they are out of Greensboro. Not crazy expensive and good, consistent quality.

http://www.curtispackingcompany.com/html/bacon.html

[Skip]

Hormel "Black Label" is usually very good. A few local Butcher Shops around here make "Cottage Bacon" aka cured pork shoulder which we like a lot too.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I think around here that's what they call "Arkansas bacon". Haven't tried it... could be a way to have more meat and less fat, eh?

[texastweeter]

Wrights if it doesn't come wrapped in butcher paper.

[RickyBobby]

Wait….. I’m confused….. there’s such a thing as bad bacon?! I refuse to believe that.

[Mr. Bones]

Mythology, Brother...

Be ye not despaired...

[Rfhd69]

Haaaaaaa!

[ssandy_561]

Mmm mmm Bacon!

[rickgregory]

Benton's is amazing stuff.

[klflowers]

Yeah Benton’s is the best

[Donw]

Benton’s is really good, I keep several packages on hand, but I’ve noticed that a lot of our younger family members say it has too much smoke flavor for them. Must be a generational difference in taste buds.

[Bighorn Dave]

I make my own bacon but even the quality of pork belly has a broad spectrum of quality. The last batch I made really sucked but the batch before was by far the best I had made always using the same recipe. Purchased one from Costco (the bad one) the other from the chefs store formally known as food service. Yes there is such a thing as bad bacon and should not to be blamed on who made it.

[shify]

I agree with Wrights being a great store bought bacon. But it’s thick cut and not great for wrapping. I tend to buy Boars Head bacon for "regular" bacon. Hormel or Oscar Mayer can be decent but you really need to check the packages as I’ve found huge disparities in the shape and cut. Some have weird notches or thin areas vertically that make it hard to separate without tearing

[Texas Larry]

I have recently made my own bacon and am stocked up. But for store bought it is Wright’s around here. Smithfield: never again.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

We use Wright's as well.

I will agree, though, there IS such a thing as bad bacon.

I think Chik-Fil-A has bad bacon. I won't ever order another sandwich from them with bacon, it's terrible.


The worst, though, I think has to be the bacon they do in bulk at Embassy Suites to put on their buffet. It's been a couple years since I tried it, but dang... literally see-through and couldn't even taste the bacon flavor whatsoever. It was terrible.

[jfmorris]

I like Wright's, but as pointed out - its too thick to use for wrapping. For a long time, I found Smithfield thick cut or hometown original to be good for grocery store bacon, but the last time I fried up a pack of that on the flat top, it shrank to half the original size in length and width. Just too much fat I suppose. I like to cure my own bacon, but again - slicing thin is a problem, and it doesn't seem to crisp as much as you want when using it as a wrap.

[klflowers]

Jumping on the Wright’s train. But if you have a Fresh Market in the area, try their Apple wood smoked bacon. It is outstanding

[Bkhuna]

Mass market bacon is almost always injected. It's quick to produce and inflates the price of the product. And while some brands are decent in a pinch or if I need bacon for wrapping or flavoring beans and such I haven't found a supermarket brand that's actually thick.

I order my bacon from Burger's Smokehouse in MO. They have a thick cut called Bacon Steak and it's 1/4 in. thick. Dry cured and hardwood smoked. The enjoyment factor mitigates the additional cost.

Kiolbassa from San Antonio is pretty decent too, buy I can get Burger's by the case and with the free shipping the cost is better.

[klflowers]

Just what I need. Another online meat retailer. The bacon sampler they have on sale right now is making me reach for my wallet. Must resist...