Bacon

About

Bacon is one of the most versatile savory seasonings, valued for enhancing almost any dish. Smoked bacon is stronger, saltier, and spicier than unsmoked; streaky bacon is fattier, and that fat carries more flavor and sweetness than the lean meat. A single slice of smoked streaky bacon can flavor a soup or stew more effectively than a stock cube. Its saltiness also brings out sweetness in other ingredients and softens their bitterness. Vegetarian and kosher alternatives exist in the form of bacon-flavored crisps, bacon salt, and bacon-flavored mayonnaise. This category also covers cooked ham.

Pairs well with bacon

• EaPotatoHam hock and potato are combined in hash, a simple fried dish of shredded or diced cured pork and potato.
• SuEggA pairing central to full English/Irish breakfasts, spaghetti carbonara, quiche lorraine, and salade frisée aux lardons et oeuf poché…
• CiOrangeA ham glazed with Seville-orange marmalade balances the meat's saltiness with a deep, bitter tang, provided the marmalade isn't too sweet,…
• FrTomatoSalty bacon and sweet-sour tomato is a classic contrast, most familiar in a BLT sandwich with lettuce.
• FrAppleFidget (or fitchett) pie is a traditional English dish layering sliced apple, bacon, onion and sometimes potato under a pastry crust.
• RoChocolateChocolatier Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat combines applewood-smoked bacon and smoked salt with dark milk chocolate in her Mo's…
• EaMushroomDried morels carry a smoky, meaty flavor with a hint of bacon, and their complex, wrinkled texture takes especially well to bacon's salty…
• MeBeefBacon's meatiness and fat can boost lean beef, echoing the traditional practice of larding meat with fat in French butchery.
• MaShellfishBacon appears with shellfish in dishes such as clams casino, where clams are topped with a fried mixture of bacon, onion, red bell pepper…
• MePorkBacon and pork appear together in dishes like the full English breakfast, French choucroute garnie (which combines back bacon, pork…
• GrAniseLop yuk, or Chinese bacon, is cured with soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and star anise.
• MeChickenA proper club sandwich, traditionally just two slices of toasted bread, layers cooled grilled bacon with chicken or turkey, tomato,…
• GrChiliCrumbly cornbread gains savoriness from crumbled bacon and a touch of chili heat, dried flakes or fresh jalapeño, baked as muffins or in a…
• GrAvocadoAvocado's fresh, green flavor offsets bacon's rich, salty meatiness, though the combination is fatty overall; it works well in a salad…
• ChHard CheesePig rearing and cheesemaking often work together, Parma ham pigs are partly fed on whey left over from Parmigiano-Reggiano production, and…
• SuOnionHam and leek, a more refined variation on bacon and onion, makes a steamed suet pudding or pie to rival steak and kidney, and is…
• CrBananaThin bacon slices wrapped around peeled banana, secured with a toothpick and grilled for 8-10 minutes while turning, balances bacon's…
• GrParsleyThick-sliced ham is traditionally served with a parsley sauce made from a butter-and-flour roux; using milk instead of ham stock and cream…
• FrPineappleBacon (or ham) and pineapple are paired on Hawaiian pizza, a well-known combination of salty meat and sweet-tart fruit.
• GrPeaIn Sweden, a thick pea and ham soup called artsoppa is a traditional Thursday meal in schools, workplaces, the royal household and…
• ChBlue CheeseRogue Creamery in Oregon smokes its blue cheese over hazelnut shells, giving it caramel and hazelnut notes alongside a gentle smokiness…
• SuCabbageA hearty, rustic pairing inspired by panzanella: roasted Brussels sprouts tossed with toasted stale bread, fried bacon lardons, garlic and…
• CiCardamomBlack cardamom, a relative of green cardamom, is smoke-dried over fire, giving it a stronger, more bitter, smoky flavor that can lend a…
• BeThymeBacon and thyme make a savory seasoning combination good with Puy lentils, partridge or Brussels sprouts.
• MaOysterBacon-wrapped oysters, grilled on a skewer, are known as 'angels on horseback'; the same treatment applied to prunes (often stuffed with…
• SuTruffleTruffle and bacon have been paired since at least the nineteenth century; an 1833 recipe for 'Truffles with Champagne' stews whole…
• WoButternut SquashThe sweet-salty flavor of this pairing recalls crabmeat, inspiring a vegetable take on crab cakes: grated butternut squash mixed with…
• SpCloveSmoking was historically essential to preserving bacon and ham, giving it a stronger flavor than most modern bacon.
• SpParsnipSalty bacon emphasizes parsnip's sweet, spicy flavor, working well in soups or mashed alongside liver or scallops.
• MaWhite FishCooking white fish in rendered bacon fat, as in the campfire-cooked bass in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, adds a savory, smoky richness.