The most raw bacon is a lie

Nutrition experts have been trying for years to clarify the difference between salted bacon and unsalted bacon. While Americans are becoming more concerned about how their meat is bred and processed, unsalted bacon appears as the healthy alternative for consumers who wish to avoid nitrates in their meat. But like The Washington PostTamar Haspel writes today, that unsalted bacon is a myth. Uncured labeled bacon is actually hardened, but using celery derivatives rather than sodium nitrite. Haspel notes that the nitrite molecule is always the same, regardless of its source, and that uncured bacon can sometimes contain higher nitrite and nitrate levels than conventionally processed bacon.

Haspel explores the scientific underpinnings of how nitrates break down into nitrites that break down into nitric oxide that preserves meat and prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. Give him a reading; chemistry is not as complicated as you might think.

After reading Haspel's text, however, I still had one question in mind: Is it possible to buy really unsalted bacon? As in, bacon without nitrates, nitrites or preservatives derived from celery? So I called Rob Levitt, Go out bacon and butcher in chief at Publican Quality Meats in Chicago.

"You can make bacon without [nitrates nor celery-derived nitrites]He told me, "The bacon I prepared for the butcher's shop only contained salt, brown sugar, spices, no nitrite, no celery powder, you leave it on the salt for a week or 10 days. you rinse it, you smoke it. "

The difference, says Levitt, is that bacon made without nitrites and nitrates does not last as long and looks as pink as nitrate salted bacon from the grocery store. "But who buys so much bacon that they have to take care of long-term storage?" He says. "A bacon without this thing will cook and taste like bacon. It will serve all your bacon needs. "

Unfortunately, bacon preserved with salt is not easy to find in grocery stores; you will probably have to go to a butcher to find it. If you want to know if your grocery store's "untreated" bacon contains nitrite derived from celery, Levitt says you can simply check the list of ingredients, which list ingredients derived from celery, sometimes listed as celery juice or celery powder .

In summary: While the debate continues on whether processed meats are at the root of cancer, know that salted and unsalted bacon from the grocery store is virtually the same thing. Before your next trip to bacon, you'll want to give The Washington Post story to read.