Turkey bacon

Last updated
A package of turkey bacon from a U.S. supermarket Turkey Bacon.jpg
A package of turkey bacon from a U.S. supermarket

Turkey bacon is a meat prepared from chopped, formed, cured, and smoked turkey, commonly marketed as a low-fat alternative to pork bacon; it may also be used as a substitute for bacon where religious dietary laws (for example halal in Islam and kashrut in Judaism) forbid the consumption of pork products. [1]

Contents

Preparation

Turkey bacon cooking in skillet. Turkey bacon cooking in skillet.jpg
Turkey bacon cooking in skillet.

Turkey bacon can be cooked by pan-frying or deep-frying. [1] Cured turkey bacon made from dark meat can be 90% fat free. [2] It can be used in the same manner as bacon (such as in a BLT sandwich), [1] but the low fat content of turkey bacon means it does not shrink while being cooked and has a tendency to stick to the pan, thus making deep-frying a faster and more practical option. [2]

Alternative to pork bacon

Turkey bacon is lower in fat and calories than pork bacon, but its lower fat content makes it unsuitable in some situations, such as grilling. [3] It is also known as "facon" , which is a portmanteau of the words "fake" and "bacon". [4] As a lower fat alternative, it became popular in America in the early 90s. [5]

Turkey bacon is an alternative also for people who do not eat pork for religious or dietary reasons. Pork is haram (not halal) to Muslims and treyf (not kosher) to Jews. When Beautiful Brands International, a company from Tulsa, Oklahoma, signed a deal with a Saudi Arabian firm to open 120 locations in eight countries in the Middle East, they had to replace pork bacon with halal turkey bacon in their recipes at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe locations because Islamic customs forbid consumption of pork and non-halal meat. [6] [7]

Nutritional value

Two strips (around 28 grams or approximately 1 ounce) of Butterball turkey bacon contain 3 grams of fat and 50 calories (32% of which from fat); turkey bacon from Louis Rich and Mr. Turkey contain 5 and 4 grams of fat, respectively, per two slices. By comparison, two strips of regular pork bacon contain, on average, some 7 grams of fat. [8] Andrew Smith, in The Turkey: An American Story , notes that turkey products (including turkey bacon) contain, on average twice as much sodium as the pork products they replace. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

Kashrut is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the term that in Sephardi or Modern Hebrew is pronounced kashér, meaning "fit". Food that may not be consumed, however, is deemed treif, also spelled treyf. In case of objects the opposite of kosher is pasúl

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortadella</span> Large Italian (pork) sausage

Mortadella is a large salume made of finely hashed or ground cured pork, which incorporates at least 15% small cubes of pork fat. It is traditionally flavoured with peppercorns, but modern versions can also contain pistachios or, less commonly, myrtle berries. The sausage is then cooked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacon</span> Type of salt-cured pork

Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish, used as a central ingredient, or as a flavouring or accent. Regular bacon consumption is associated with increased mortality and other health concerns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic dietary laws</span> Islamic jurisprudence positions on food

Islamic dietary laws are laws that Muslims follow in their diet. Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halal and which are haram. The dietary laws are found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as well as in collections of traditions attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meal, Ready-to-Eat</span> U.S. military individual field ration

The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) is a self-contained individual United States military ration used by the United States Armed Forces and Department of Defense. It is intended for use by American service members in combat or field conditions where other food is not available. MREs have also been distributed to civilians as humanitarian daily rations during natural disasters and wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancetta</span> Italian bacon made of pork belly meat

Pancetta is a salt-cured pork belly meat product in a category known as salume. In Italy, it is often used to add depth to soups and pastas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White meat</span> Meat which is pale before and after cooking

In culinary terms, white meat is meat which is pale in color before and after cooking. In traditional gastronomy, white meat also includes rabbit, the flesh of milk-fed young mammals, and sometimes pork. In ecotrophology and nutritional studies, white meat includes poultry and fish, but excludes all mammal flesh, which is considered red meat.

Some people do not eat various specific foods and beverages in conformity with various religious, cultural, legal or other societal prohibitions. Many of these prohibitions constitute taboos. Many food taboos and other prohibitions forbid the meat of a particular animal, including mammals, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, molluscs, crustaceans and insects, which may relate to a disgust response being more often associated with meats than plant-based foods. Some prohibitions are specific to a particular part or excretion of an animal, while others forgo the consumption of plants or fungi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosher style</span>

Kosher style refers to Jewish cuisine—most often that of Ashkenazi Jews—which may or may not actually be kosher. It is a stylistic designation rather than one based on the laws of kashrut. In some U.S. states, the use of this term in advertising is illegal as a misleading term under consumer protection laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of Islamic and Jewish dietary laws</span> Comparison between halal and kosher dietary laws

The Islamic dietary laws (halal) and the Jewish dietary laws are both quite detailed, and contain both points of similarity and discord. Both are the dietary laws and described in distinct religious texts: an explanation of the Islamic code of law found in the Quran and Sunnah and the Jewish code of laws found in the Torah, Talmud and Shulchan Aruch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pork</span> Meat from a pig

Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig. It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkey ham</span> Type of processed meat made from cured turkey

Turkey ham is a processed meat product made from cooked or cured turkey meat, water and other ingredients such as binders. Turkey ham products contain no pork products. Several companies in the United States produce turkey ham and market it under various brand names. It was invented c. 1975 by Jennie-O, who first introduced it to consumers that year. Around January 1980, the American Meat Institute tried to ban use of the term "turkey ham" for products that are composed solely of turkey and contain no pork. Turkey ham may also be used as a substitute for bacon where religious restrictions forbid the consumption of pork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Morgan</span>

A Mitch Morgan is a cocktail that consists of a shot of bourbon whiskey served with a piece of fried bacon as a cocktail garnish and served in a glass coated on the inside with a thin veneer of bacon grease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stegt flæsk</span> Danish pork dish

Stegt flæsk is a dish from Denmark consisting of fried pork belly and generally served with potatoes and parsley sauce (persillesovs). The dish is sometimes translated as 'pork strips' or 'crisp fried pork slices'. The pork belly or "breast" cut of a pig is used for stegt flæsk and the strips are cut about 1/4 inch thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cut of pork</span> Piece of pig meat consumed as food by humans

The cuts of pork are the different parts of the pig which are consumed as food by humans. The terminology and extent of each cut varies from country to country. There are between four and six primal cuts, which are the large parts in which the pig is first cut: the shoulder, loin, belly and leg. These are often sold wholesale, as are other parts of the pig with less meat, such as the head, feet and tail. Retail cuts are the specific cuts which are used to obtain different kinds of meat, such as tenderloin and ham. There are at least 25 Iberian pork cuts, including jamón.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkey meat</span> Meat from a turkey

Turkey meat, commonly referred to as just turkey, is the meat from turkeys, typically domesticated turkeys, but also wild turkeys. It is a popular poultry dish, especially in North America and the United Kingdom, where it is traditionally consumed as part of culturally significant events such as Thanksgiving and Christmas respectively, as well as in standard cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt pork</span> Salt-cured pork usually made from pork belly

Salt pork is salt-cured pork. It is usually prepared from pork belly, or, less commonly, fatback. Salt pork typically resembles uncut side bacon, but is fattier, being made from the lowest part of the belly, and saltier, as the cure is stronger and performed for longer, and never smoked. The fat on the meat is necessary for the curing process as it allows the salt to soak in and preserve the meat. Salt pork is made by layering salt and thin layers of meat, then dousing it in a brine mixture once the desired size has been reached.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peameal bacon</span> Type of Canadian bacon

Peameal bacon is a wet-cured, unsmoked back bacon made from trimmed lean boneless pork loin rolled in cornmeal. It is found mainly in Ontario. Toronto pork packer William Davies, who moved to Canada from England in 1854, is credited with its development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lists of foods</span>

This is a categorically organized list of foods. Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is produced either by plants, animals, or fungi, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gold, Amanda (October 22, 2008). "One turkey bacon stands out in the flock". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  2. 1 2 "Turkey Bacon Wins Support as Good Meat at Breakfast". Deseret News. January 22–23, 1991. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  3. "Eat cheap but well! Make a tasty beef in beer". MSNBC. April 30, 2009. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  4. "Gamze Smokehouse Turkey Bacon Nitrite Free". www.doorsteporganics.com.au. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  5. Kissinger, Jessie (3 January 2013). "The Assessment: Why Bacon Isn't Over". Esquire. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  6. Arnold, Kyle (May 13, 2009). "FreshBerry translates well: 120 stores to open in Middle East". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  7. Zlati Meyer (2017-11-16). "Bacon? Really?: 10 Thanksgiving foods you didn't know were kosher". USA Today.
  8. Bellerson, Karen J. (2001). The Complete & Up-to-Date Fat Book: A Guide to the Fat, Calories, and Fat Percentage in Your Food. Avery. p. 55. ISBN   978-1-58333-099-9.
  9. Smith, Andrew F. (2006). The Turkey: An American Story . U of Illinois P. p.  107. ISBN   978-0-252-03163-2.