When we say just "bacon" in the United States, this sliced product is what we mean. It is pork belly, salt cured, smoked and sliced. It may be "thick sliced" or "regular", but even thick sliced is rather thin. In my opinion, it's too thin for many recipe uses. On the other hand, sliced is essential for a lot of other recipes - though I'd generally still recommend the "thick sliced". Typically, slices are 10-1/2 inches long, 2 inches wide and 0.12 inch thick (thick sliced). Flavor, thickness and leanness vary considerably with brand, so find one you like.
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This is simply regular bacon before slicing. It's generally a deli product
of special quality and somewhat higher price. The photo specimen was
purchased from the deli department of a large multi-ethnic market in Los
Angeles for US $6.19 / pound, compared to the regular specimen above
purchased from a discount market at $4.65 / pound. It was 8 inches long
and 2 inches thick at the thick end.
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Unfortunately, pigs are not perfectly rectangular, so producing those
trays of thin uniform slices involves a lot of trimming at the edges.
These trimmings are packaged and sold through some markets. They tend
to be sliced a lot thicker and usually are leaner than sliced bacon.
This is the way I buy nearly all my bacon, because I use it mostly in
recipes where sliced is really too thin. I buy Bar-M brand (produced by
Serve-Rite Meat Co in Los Angeles) which has excellent smoky flavor.
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