Carbonara pasta, fried potatoes with greaves, scrambled eggs with bacon, pea soup. These dishes familiar to all in one or another quantity contain bacon, the calorific value of which can be called quite high. But do you know what exact numbers are?
Fresh product
It's no secret that bacon is part of pork carcass. More precisely, this is a side of a young pig, prepared according to a special recipe. The correct product should have a clear separation of the layers of fat and meat at the cut.
If we talk about the calorie content of bacon before heat treatment, then the usual salted product will contain about 460 kcal per 100 g. Other cooking methods can change this parameter. For example, after smoking, the calorie content will be already 520 units per 100 g. And what will happen after roasting?
Fried bacon
Although this uncomplicated ingredient looks extremely appetizing, you should not get carried away with eating it at all. At first glance, it is noticeable that bacon is a rather fatty product. That is why adding oil to the pan during frying is not necessary at all. The fat that is flooded will perfectly replace it. It is best to add fresh vegetables to the bacon to balance this meal.
In moderate amounts, high calorie fried bacon is not able to harm the human body. And on the contrary, it improves the condition and functioning of the cardiovascular system and strengthens bones. But for lovers of daily use of this ingredient, overweight problems or atherosclerosis can become a reality. At the same time, fried bacon, whose calorific value changes after cooking, will already contain 580 kcal per 100 g of product.
How to choose in the store
Like any other product, bacon requires your attention when choosing in a store or on the market. What distinguishes a quality product from a poor-quality one? First of all, of course, at a price. Any piece of meat should have an adequate cost, and its causeless decline may be due to factors that will further adversely affect the health of the buyer. The same applies to lard, because it is the same part of the pig carcass, like many others.
Next, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the goods. The color of the bacon should be uniform, without yellowness. The skin, if any, should not be disfigured by kinks, stains and remnants of bristles.
And finally, the composition. It is best if, in addition to salt brine, there are only aromatic herbs and spices. But the presence of oxidizing agents or stabilizers can spoil the taste and quality of the product.
Bacon recipe
To make you understand that bacon dishes can be light and tender, then you can find a salad recipe for yourself, where bacon is the main "star" and at the same time goes well with other ingredients. For cooking you will need:
- 100 g of bacon;
- 50 g of pine nuts;
- 150 g young spinach;
- ripe avocado - 1 pc;
- olive oil - 3 tbsp. l;
- balsamic vinegar - 1 tsp.
So, for starters, fry the bacon without adding oil to the state of crispy chips. After removing it from the pan, in the same place, on the melted fat, we warm the nuts until a golden color appears. Avocados must be cut into thin, oblong slices, and spinach left untouched.
To make dressing, mix olive oil and balsamic and add black pepper to them to taste. Due to the salty taste of bacon, it is not necessary to add salt to the sauce. Put the avocado on a plate, then spinach leaves, bacon and nuts last. Water the dressing - and the dish is ready!
Thus, bacon, the calorie content per 100 g of which seems prohibitive, may well find its place in dietary dishes and please you with its unique, smoked taste. The main thing is to know the measure in everything!