Old Fashioned Smoked Streaky Bacon – 500g

Description

There is something deeply satisfying about proper streaky bacon made the traditional way. Our Old Fashioned Smoked Streaky begins with heritage breed pork raised slowly on North Yorkshire farms—animals chosen for their exceptional fat quality and depth of flavour. Unlike modern commercial pork bred for extreme leanness, heritage breeds naturally develop generous layers of creamy fat throughout the belly. That fat is where the flavour lives, delivering bacon that cooks crisp at the edges while remaining beautifully succulent at its heart.

The cut itself comes from the pork belly, a cut prized by butchers for its alternating layers of muscle and sweet, delicate fat. When cured and cooked correctly, these layers render gradually, producing bacon that crackles and crisps while retaining a remarkable juiciness. Proper belly bacon has a richness that leaner cuts simply cannot match.

Traditionally Cured at Mount Grace Charcuterie

Our streaky bacon is prepared to our own classic Yorkshire recipe at Mount Grace Charcuterie. The pork is carefully cured using:

• Natural sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Fragrant thyme

This slow curing process seasons the meat right through while gently drawing out moisture, concentrating the natural sweetness of the pork.

Once cured, the bacon is naturally smoked, allowing aromatic wood smoke to weave through the fat and muscle. This traditional smoking process develops a warm, rounded smokiness that complements the sweetness of the pork without overpowering it.

Finally, the bacon is thick sliced with the rind left on—a detail true bacon lovers appreciate. The rind protects the meat during cooking, helping it retain moisture, while the fat beneath renders slowly to produce crisp edges and deep savoury flavour.

Cooking the Perfect Streaky Bacon

For the best results, cook streaky bacon slowly so the fat has time to render.

Pan Method (recommended):

• Place the slices in a cold frying pan.
• Bring the heat up gradually to medium.
• Allow the fat to render slowly until the edges become crisp and golden.
• Turn occasionally and cook until caramelised to your liking.

Because streaky bacon contains generous fat, it benefits from gentle heat rather than aggressive frying, allowing the flavourful fat to baste the meat as it cooks.

Serving Suggestions

This is bacon that transforms simple dishes into something memorable. Try it:

• Crisped beside proper free-range eggs for a classic breakfast
• Wrapped around chicken, pheasant or venison before roasting
• Layered in a butcher’s sandwich with crusty bread and brown sauce
• Diced and rendered to start a rich pasta, stew or braised cabbage

The result is bacon with real depth of flavour—smoky, savoury and beautifully rich, exactly as streaky bacon should be when made with patience, heritage pork, and traditional curing.