This dark age was known as the 1980s.
Thankfully, those days are long gone.
Bacon is chic again and has been for quite some time.
Chris Shott/Eat This, Not That!
Rather than removing the fat, contemporary pork producers are eliminating other things, like nitrates and artificial ingredients.
They all clearly promote their quality standards on the packaging, but which ones taste the best?
We cooked the bacon on a large cast iron grill top, placed over a hot fire pit.
Whole Foods Market
I later followed up by frying the same brands in a skillet for my family back at home.
Both my friends and my family had a lot of opinions.
To be clear: none of these bacons tasted bad.
Whole Foods Market
(Doesrealbacon ever taste bad?)
But some smoky flavors simply stood out above the rest.
Thishickory-smoked bacon from Applegate Farmsis a classic example.
Whole Foods Market
An eight-ounce package costs $8.99 at Whole Foods Market.
My issue with this particular bacon is the flimsy cut.
They did fare much better in a skillet.
Nature’s Rancher
“Less Is More!”
the package proclaims, noting only three ingredients: pork, sea salt, and raw sugar.
The bacon is further described as all-natural, made from pork raised without antibiotics and fed a vegetarian diet.
Chris Shott/Eat This, Not That!
Regularly priced at $8.99, I picked up this 12-ounce package on sale for $6.49.
I really liked the firm cut of this particular brand.
Tasters enjoyed the depth of flavor, as well.
One described it as having a certain “honey-ness.”
Another said, “Kind of feels like a party in my mouth.”
Trouble is, we enjoyed two other brands even more.
They’re not lying.
It has all the hallmarks of a well-made, high-quality contemporary pork product.
The ingredient list is small but not scanty.
Flavorings include brown sugar, salt, vinegar, and celery salt.
Made exclusively for Whole Foods, the 12-ounce package costs $7.99.
Another noted, “you’re able to taste the bacon but with something extra.”
Ingredients include the usual sea salt and celery powder, but also turbinado sugar and maple syrup.
The campfire crew really liked it, too.
