Bacon

I really miss American bacon. I knew how to cook it and I knew how it would taste. I could fry it until most of the fat was gone or crispy and the lean was crispy but not burnt.

I cannot cook Scottish bacon. (Is it the same in England?)

If I buy the pieces that are shaped like pork chops and fry them, I get brown on the part that actually touches the skillet and the fat does relatively nothing. It's very much like frying thinly sliced ham.

If I buy the the stuff that is already chopped (I get it at Lidl), it's great for flavouring dishes, but I can never cook out or crisp up enough of the fat.

What am I doing wrong?

You need to get streaky bacon. The regular bacon here has a lot of water in it so it will never get crisp like you want it.

For bacon that is close to American style, you need to get the streaky bacon. There is a European brand I have seen in Dunne's (Irish grocer), it comes in a blue package and is referred to as Continental - it is the closest to American bacon I have found and is gorgeous. Can never remember the name though!

yep... get streaky, and if possible get the dry-cured streaky.

Some places sell Oscar Meyer bacon... my Sainsburys does.

Really?! I am on the hunt...

Thanks for the tips!

Got any ideas for good breakfast sausage?

Oh...I should have asked...so, what does one do with the typical grocery store variety of ham-like bacon? Do you fry it for breakfast or prepare it in a completely different way? Or do you just give it a miss altogether?

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=34333.0

I recently saw some Oscar Meyer bacon at our Morrisons.

Oh...I should have asked...so, what does one do with the typical grocery store variety of ham-like bacon? Do you fry it for breakfast or prepare it in a completely different way? Or do you just give it a miss altogether?

Do you mean the ones that look like joints (cylinder shaped)? These you cook in the oven like you would a beef joint (e.g. http://www.tesco.com/superstore/xpi/8/xpi59729958.htm).

That's a revelation. I hadn't discovered those yet. I'm thinking a nice pineapple-mustard glaze or maybe some apples and onions...

No, actually, I meant the regular thin slices that look as if you should fry them.

Oh...I should have asked...so, what does one do with the typical grocery store variety of ham-like bacon? Do you fry it for breakfast or prepare it in a completely different way? Or do you just give it a miss altogether?

i dont like back bacon cos i prefer the streaks of fat in streaky.  But it's best to just stick it under the grill.  And even if you're buying back bacon, try to get dry-cured.   

And you were asking about breakfast sausage?!   What's wrong with the world famous Lorne (or 'skwerr') sausage?!  Available everywhere in Scotland! 

That's a revelation. I hadn't discovered those yet. I'm thinking a nice pineapple-mustard glaze or maybe some apples and onions...

No, actually, I meant the regular thin slices that look as if you should fry them.

When we buy that kind of bacon we usually cook it on the George Forman grill. to me it is absolutely gorgeous of course I leave my bacon on longer. I like my bacon to be crisper than how Dh has his.

Yes, we cook the back bacon on the grill.  Add a few mushrooms to the grill as well, slap it all on some white bread with a dollop of brown sauce, and voilà -- the bacon butty!  I'm hungry!

I don't like the American bacon, give me the back bacon any day!! 

DH makes fun of me because I miss English bacon so much. The last time i was over, I got a bacon and mushroom cob everyday. Not good for the waistline, but oh so yummy.

He's nuts over American Bacon. Between him and Paige we could cook 2 pounds a week and not have a scrap leftover.