I still cut my own pork belly for bacon, even though everyone says to buy it pre-sliced

Three years ago, I was working at a big shop in Kansas City and the owner brought in a pre-sliced belly pack. Everyone loved how fast it was. Last month, I was prepping for a big weekend order and my slicer jammed on a store-bought pack, the fat just gummed everything up. Last week, I went back to my old way, breaking down a whole belly myself with my boning knife. I can feel the grain and adjust each slice by hand, getting those perfect thick cuts for the smoker. The texture is just better, and I waste less. Sure, it takes an extra twenty minutes, but the result is worth it. Does anyone else still break down whole bellies, or am I just being stubborn?

2 comments

2 Comments

terry_torres401d ago

That bit about feeling the grain and adjusting by hand is the whole thing. You see it everywhere now, people paying extra for the worse, pre-cut version of everything.

thea_carter1d ago

That slicer jamming is the perfect example. I mean, the pre-sliced stuff has that weird coating sometimes, right? It's like they spray something on it so it doesn't stick together in the bag. Terry_torres40 is totally right about paying more for worse. You see it with pre-diced onions that taste like nothing, or those pre-shredded cheeses that won't melt right. Getting your hands on the real thing and doing it yourself just works better every time.