BS: Australian Bacon

Subject: BS: Australian Bacon
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 12:13 PM

Having recently been on holiday in Oz, I want to tell y'all that the bacon over there is scrummy, I especially liked "Short Bacon" Here in the UK we are sold crap bacon unless we pay through the nose for dry cured, and that has been known to ooze white watery crap too [Tesco's] I try to buy Sillfield Farm bacon when I can, but their web site ordering system seems to be dead at the moment. I tried to buy over the net from another company, but when I put my address in [Highlands of Scotland] they said they could not deliver to me. Why are bacon curers, the majority of whom are non UK based allowed to inject watery solutions into our bacon to bulk it up, so that we end up paying bacon prices for both the solid, and the liquid content of a pack of bacon?

Rant rant....Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Peg
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 12:47 PM

hmmm...seems like a good argument for making one's own.
Trader Joe's sells one from humanely-raised hogs...

peg, who loves bacon and wishes the nitrite-free stuff didn't taste so vile.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 01:00 PM

We 'Canajiuns' have been known to have a good bacon or two laying around the place...

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 01:03 PM

Yes, cure your own. It's just not that difficult. Get a side of slab meat, a smoker and off you go.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Peace
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 01:06 PM

But first, ya need a pig.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 02:19 PM

Has anyone ever tried bear bacon? Smoked and cured sames as with hogs only no nitrites and very lean. mmmmmmm. Hams too.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Joybell
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 04:32 PM

Aren't we lucky? My American husband pointed out our good bacon. We don't do sausages as well as the "little pig sausages" he remembers from America though. Why is it that bacon always smells better than it tastes. And coffee? Both pretty good but the smell!

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 05:31 PM

I was amazed at being told about "streaky bacon" which is allegedly so loved by the English - out here in Aus that rates as "the real cheap stuff" - if it hasn't got more meat than fat it's always been considered "substandard"...

You can also buy what is basically just the "eye" part in packs in the stores...

My father, who during WWII, ate in both the USA and England - always considered that Australian bacon was the best in the world. As a RAF pilot, they was always given top ration in order to assure their health. He told me that two fried eggs for breakfast with bacon always made him feel guilty, and that the Aussie flyboys would often slip one of their eggs onto the plates of the ground crews - they got little sleep, little comfort and poor food - without the ground crew's hard work, the flyboys stood little chance of making it back...

BTW "G for George" - the Lancaster that made 90 bombing flights over Germany is now restored and on display in the Australian War Museum in Canberra.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 07:27 PM

Bacon here in the States is strictly fat with a few thin red lines of muscle, not to be compared with the wonderful bacon we were served in Australia, more like fried ham than "bacon."

However, In Oz the syrup we got on our pancakes and French toast compared most unfavorably with our New England maple syrup, and Morton Bay bugs will never break into the Maine market as long as we still have a lobster to crack.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, back home in Maine in a blizzard

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 07:36 PM

Moreton Bay Bugs were considerd an annoying unwanted bycatch, just dumped, until some clever marketers convinced people that, what with the rising scarisity of crab and lobster, they were edible...

Still prefer Aussie "Golden Syrup" (cane sugar based) to the taste of Maple Syrup - very few maple trees here too :-) I prefer the deeper taste to the very light Maple syrip taste mostlt, but if you can find the real imported stuff, not the "Maple Syrup Flavour" stuff, it's OK.


Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Mickey191
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 07:56 PM

Odd coincidence-- That this thread is up. Last week I had company & bought my first pound of bacon in years. I bought the best, well known brand which was $4.50 a pound. I chose carefully (thru the wee window) but truth to tell none of them looked great. When I opened the package I almost spit nails. It was 14 ounces of pure fat-with a little meat in the center. Alot of juice in the package too.

I happened to have a film in my camera-So I took a snap with price sticker showing. I've mailed it off to Oscar. If they do right by me, I should get back some kind of check.

Love the round Canadian bacon-but very pricey. About $9.50 a pound.

From Blizzard driven NY. Still snowing & windy on my mountain. About 10 inches so far. Wind Chill about 7 degrees.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Joybell
Date: 06 Dec 03 - 08:29 PM

Well we are having a heat wave. 103 degrees coming up! The ground is cracking out here on the basalt plain. Robin you haven't mentioned the golden syrup dumplings. I must confess I like the imported maple syrup on pancakes though.
Cheers from Cocky's Joy (Aussie name for golden syrup.)

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: mg
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 01:00 AM

what are bay bugs? Here in Willapa Bay we have ghost shrimp that are destroying the oyster beds. I have never been convinced that they were inedible....they make great bait for fishing...mg

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 04:53 AM

Moreton Bay Bugs are crusteaceans that look a bit like those thingies from fossils - can't think of the name - that have been around for millions of years - ah! tribolites!

"Bush Tucker" - well you make and eat them in the bush! Golden Syrup Dumplings.

A small fire - or coals preferably, a stick - remove the bark, some self raising flour mixed with milk or water to form a nice "bread like" dough. Place some of the mix around the end of the stick, place over coals till cooked, remove from stick, then fill hole with Golden Syrup! Yum!

Then throw a clean shovel over the coals, cook bacon, remove, crack eggs onto shovel, fry gently, then consume. this makes it a bacon meal... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: JennyO
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 10:28 AM

I love bacon, and it wasn't till I went overseas that I realised how lucky we are with our bacon here in Oz. I just took it for granted it was like that everywhere. I'm surprised that anyone can get away with passing off something as bacon when it is mostly fat and water!

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 02:25 PM

Moreton Bay bugs probably are "trilobites." Australia seems to be the habitat of many "extinct" plants and animals. I enjoyed viewing a long extinct tree in Sydney's botantical gardens.

The "bacon" producers here in the States should be drawn and quartered, and then ground up into sausage meat. What a racket!

We are the proud possessors of a "giant udder" postcard, another wonder from Australia.

Charley Noble, recently back from Oz

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: DougR
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 02:57 PM

Sorcha: could you share your recipe for cured bacon? I'd like to try it.

We found that the bacon we were served in both London, and Ireland, was superior to any I have had here in the U. S.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 03:44 PM

Sounds wonderful! Must try some (hint, hint...)

A question that has been troubling me for years re-emerged on reading this - This difference between bacon and ham! I actualy decided to investigate and found out here.

Is t'internet wonderful...

Cheers

DtG
(All offers of tasty foodstuffs accepted. PM me for details;-) )

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Joybell
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 05:39 PM

Charley - we have some wonderful "giant" things. Nearby we have a giant koala. Doesn't compare with a giant udder! but it sure is impressive. It's about two stories high and made of grey cement. Birds nest in it's nose. It's sitting up and you walk into it's inside, where there's a gift shop, through a very private part of it's anatomy. Maybe it's supposed to be a pouch but the door is a bit low down for that. Then you can go out by the back door!!! Recently it was sold. I would have loved to have been able to afford to live inside a koala.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 05:43 PM

Dave the gnome-

Thanks for the bacon link. Clearly what we get here in the States is from some other part of the pig that the website doesn't even deign to mention.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, who wonders if his bacon is even worth saving

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 05:46 PM

You guys are makin' me hungry! Many years ago I worked for an independent grocery store with an old-style meat market that bought its bacon in slabs and sliced it. There was always a pound or so of extra-lean meat on the edge of a slab that we sliced off for our own purchase. That's probably why there's no good bacon available. The butchers are taking the good stuff home.

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 06:21 PM

I'd have to disagree slightly with Dave's link that tries to explain the difference between bacon and ham.

Bacon is a term for pig meat that is dry cured and (sometimes) smoked. Virtually any part of a pig can be turned into bacon.

Hams are the hind legs (thighs) of pigs. They may be prepared as bacon, or in any other number of ways.

'Ham' is part of the pigs anatomy, 'Bacon' is a preservation method.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Cluin
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 06:24 PM

Best ham I ever had was on a sandwich in Castlecomer, Kilkenny with a side of Guinness.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Dec 03 - 09:48 PM

Say Charlie,
have you heard of the "Tasmanian Hand Fish" it walks around on front fins - yes walks! - that look amazingly like a human hand. It's quite rare, not as rare as "Drop Bears" tho... :-) There are pictures around on the net - it's not a joke!

There is a Giant Bull around - but people keep stealing a certain part of his anatomy - it has to be replaced regularly...

When I was involved in Theatre, I met lots of Hams. There's quite a few around in Folk Music too... :-)

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 09:00 AM

Whereas in the US "bacon" is almost always from the "belly" of the pig - very fatty - very little lean meat. 'canadian' bacon (in the us) is the eye of loin prepared as bacon is.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Joybell
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 05:31 PM

As to the giant bull, Robin, we have a statue of a big White Horse just outside Melbourne, who became a gelding about 20 years into his career because of the very same problem. Just as well the street was wisely called "White Horse Road" and not "White Stallion Road", I reckon, thus avoiding expensive changes to street directories and signs.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Mr Red
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 05:38 PM

Over in NZ they tried marketing "mutton ham" - it looked like sheep, chewed like sheep, tasted like sheep and by golly it was sheep. Not sure if it is still considered chique over htere any more.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: MMario
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 06:42 PM

beef bacon though is excellent!

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: vectis
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 07:10 PM

In the UK the best bacon going is to be found in Whitby. Locally cured and you can buy a flitch and slice it to your desired thickness.
There is a butcher in Milton Keynes who sells decent bacon vacuum packed. When I go up there I buy it by the carrier bag and freeze it to use through the year.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 07:17 PM

Actually, I don't have a recipe, but I might be able to get one from Uncle Charlie...he used to do all his own curing, might still do. His home cured hams were heaven!

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 07:29 PM

Thats the beauty of 'doing' Farmers Markets - Home made Bacon and Sausages - Especially if they've had a slack day and want to sell it rather than take it home !!!

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Dec 03 - 11:26 PM

I seem to remember reading in old "farmer's helper" type books something about "pseudo hams"... sorry don't remmeber any more at moment...

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST,Ooh-Aah
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 12:59 AM

The best bacon I've ever had was in the South Tyrolean Alps - it's called "speck" (pronounced 'shpeck') and comes about 1/2 an inch thick, with pickles and a superb smoky flavour. Go to Germanic places for all that's best in pig products!

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 07:50 AM

Best bacon I ever had i bought at a Farmers market in Nova Scotia, Canada. I think Canadians in general make the best bacon but this Nova Scotia stuff was great, best ever.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: DougR
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 03:03 PM

Sorcha: why don't you give your uncle a call? I, for one, would love to have a good recipe for curing bacon and ham.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST,Wren
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 04:09 AM

I lived in Queensland for 1/2 a year. I love Australian bacon, sausages and meat pies. I can't find the pork w/ the rind I had either. I have been able to duplicate crumb steak w/ success but I can't find any bacon that even resembles the stuff I had there. I really miss it. Does anyone have any suggestions of an american equivilant???

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 05:29 AM

I was over in Australia as well, I'm just back anyway I think that the Bacon that they sell there is really shit, it's too salty. but if there are people that like really salty meat then go ahead and buy the stuff, now I like salt but Aussie Bacon is too much salty for me.
Tom frae Saltcoats Scotland

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 05:39 AM

Not all Aussie bacon is very salty. Depends on which brand you buy. There is also a trick called 'washing the salt off' if you want it less salty.

But then again, that could be why Aussies like Vegemite...

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 06:05 AM

Australian bacon sounds good. You can get nice bacon in the UK without having to pay a lot for dry cured. I like the pre-packed back bacon that one of the local butchers distributes. It does have some water content but unlike the supermarket stuff, it does not give masses of white froth and frizzle down to nothing. It is a few pence more to buy but I am convinced it works out cheaper as you don't find yourself cooking say 3 rashers to end up with the equivilant of 2. It is tastier too and I believe they use localy farmed pigs.

Foolestroupe mentioned streaky bacon. It's not one I'd choose to eat for breakfast, etc. but one that we use for putting over a turkey before baking and one I sometimes chop up and use in a stew or soup.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 07:06 AM

In Whitby you can buy great smoked bacon straight from Fortunes smokehouse, great kippers too.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Helen
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 07:18 AM

My hubby shops at the local Vietnamese butcher's shop and he came home with (brought home?) the bacon which the butcher had cured himself. Yumm-o! Smoky, light, not very salty, and thinly sliced.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Helen
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 07:24 AM

Oh yes, and I buy bacon from the supermarket deli section and usually get the "short cut" bacon which costs a bit more but is better value because it has hardly any fat.

In case some of you didn't realise, I'm in the land of Oz too. Never thought we'd be envied for our bacon!

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 08:20 AM

Its the "Yumm-o" that gave it away, Helen!

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 10:18 AM

Steaky Bacon is getting hard to find. Nowadays, it's usually dearer than Back Bacon - which although it's often full of water is usually pretty lean. Good streaky should usually only have about 30-40% fat, I much prefer it - especially cooked beautifully crisp in a bacon buttie.

Give me boiled parsnips
And a girt dish of 'tatters
And a lump of fatty bacon
And a pint of good Ale

Farm workers used to prefer the bacon fat, especially in winter, because fat is quite a good food for keeping you warm.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 10:55 AM

wren - try "Canadian Bacon" - or a spiral sliced cured ham.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 12:57 PM

Steaky Bacon is getting hard to find. Nowadays, it's usually dearer than Back Bacon.

Not round our way that I've noticed. East to buy, and cheaper than back bacon. Too fatty for my taste.

...............

"...then again, that (saltiness)could be why Aussies like Vegemite..."

But Vegemite is less salty than Marmite.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:06 PM

And Pro-Mite is less salty again.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: rich-joy
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:29 PM

Thread creep (slightly!) :

.   and AUSSIE-MITE is The Best of them all : great taste and texture, GM free, suitable for Vegos etc. and not owned by a tobacco company like Kraft's Vegemite!!!

Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:51 PM

Then of Course, Mighty-Mite is Aussie owned.

Subject: RE: BS: Australian Bacon
From: Helen
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 03:14 AM

"Would you mind not leaning on the bacon slicer? We're getting a little behind with our orders."

Helen