You know the old adage about how everything tastes better with bacon? It's true, you know. And there are so many bacon choices out there! There's regular old bacon, thick cut bacon, and apple wood smoked bacon. Oooo, let's not forget about Italian bacon. Pancetta is so wonderfully different from American bacon. Because Pancetta isn't smoked but cured with spices such as nutmeg or fennel, it has a very different flavor profile. Besides the obvious differences in taste, I like that it cooks up so much more quickly (and with less mess) than traditional bacon.I also like that it is easy to package into quick-use slices. I ask the deli to slice them fairly thickly (they use setting 5 at my deli, about 3/8 to 1/4 of an inch). When I get home, I use patty paper (small squares of wax paper) in between each slice and then freeze in a zip top bag. Once frozen, I can easily remove one or more slices and cook immediately and quickly into any dish that needs a little bacon punch. I particularly like using Pancetta for bacon bits on salads.
Once you remove the slice(s) from the freezer, you can dice up and add the pieces to the pan still frozen. They cook up very quickly over medium heat. Yuuuummmm... bacon.
This is a great tip! I have never even seen the patty paper before. I will have to look for it. I like to use pnacetta a lot too, and I love the idea of storing it this way.
ReplyDelete