Bacon

My favorite bacon is Schaller & Weber (see Sources), a brand of “double-smoked” bacon that comes in a slab with the rind already removed. Not only is this bacon lean and flavorful, but its being in a single slab allows you to slice it to whatever thickness you want. Once you open the package, wrap the bacon in a clean kitchen towel and put it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. (You can keep it even longer, but it gets hard.) Most slab bacon, however, is sold with the rind attached. To remove it, slide a long, thin knife between the fat and the rind before slicing the bacon. Leave the rind attached to that part of the slab you’re not slicing and then fold the flap over the rest of the bacon to keep the bacon moist. Presliced bacon is easier to find than slab bacon, and there are several good brands. Use thick-sliced bacon for cooking; it makes more substantial lardons and has more texture. Inspect it carefully and select the brand with the most lean. Be sure the package says “naturally smoked” and not “smoke-flavored.” “Smoke-flavored” bacon has an unpleasant soapy taste.