Pork belly, that unctuous, flavor-packed cut, is the abdominal muscle of the pig. It doesn’t get much exercise (pigs aren’t big on doing sit-ups), so the meat is tender and striated with healthy fat. It only makes sense then, that bacon, everyone’s favorite combination of meaty, salty, fatty deliciousness would come from the pork belly.
While many cuisines use pork belly in their dishes, the two products are not interchangeable. Pork belly on its own may be braised, grilled, deep-fried or roasted, but it’s not cured or smoked. Bacon, on the other hand, undergoes a long process to become the smoky, crunchy morsel on the plate next to your eggs.
So how does pork belly become bacon?
The Coleman All Natural Meats process
Pork belly is a large slab of meat, so getting it to the sliced bacon stage takes time, precision and care.
First, the all-natural pork slabs are trimmed and then cured (more on that in a minute) with a brine of sea salt, sugar, and cultured celery powder. In the case of our applewood smoked bacon, there’s no sugar added, and none of our products contain added synthetic ingredients like nitrates, nitrites or artificial colorings or flavors.
After curing, the slabs are dried, then placed in a large smoker filled with either hickory smoke, the traditional flavor, or applewood, which adds a touch of sweetness to the meat without the added sugar.
Once the slab is infused with that delectable smoky flavor, it gets to rest and chill a bit before moving through the slicer and vacuum packaging machine. Then it’s off to your favorite retailer and, eventually, your plate.
Cured vs. uncured
You’ll notice our bacon labels say “uncured,” even though our process involves curing. That’s because we don’t use the traditional synthetic curing chemicals many companies add to their brine. We use only cultured celery powder, which comes from real celery that’s been juiced, fermented, dried and ground. The USDA allows us to use the uncured label because we don’t add any additional nitrates or nitrites. Everything in our products comes right from Mother Nature, including our pork. Our animals are raised on American Humane Certified family farms, without crates, antibiotics, hormones, or anything but vegetarian feed.
Our Favorite Bacons
Photo suggestion: Steak Cut Bacon Barbecue Burgers Our Hickory Smoked Bacon has the traditional hickory flavor profile and the versatility for everything from a breakfast side to a topping for mac and cheese. The Applewood Smoked Bacon is slightly sweet (even without added sugar), mildly fruity and a delicious option if you’re watching your sugar intake or following a keto or paleo diet. It’s an especially good choice for bacon-infused sweet treats, too. If you want a an even meatier experience, try one or both of our Steak Cut bacons. Like their thinner cut cousins, they’re both mouthwateringly smoky and make a fabulous BLT or burger topping. Need some inspiration? Visit our recipes page for creative ideas and tips for cooking and storing everyone’s favorite porky treat.
The Coleman Way, since 1875, is our commitment to quality, taking pride in humanely raising animals on family farms in the U.S.A. with no antibiotics ever, no growth hormones, and 100% vegetarian fed. The result is premium, great-tasting, all-natural meats in a variety of cuts and flavors that can be easily prepared and that you can feel good about serving to family and friends.
