Rashers
Posted on March 27, 2007, by Conor O'Neill, under Bandon, Cooking, Food.
At what point in the 1980’s/1990’s did back bacon take over from streaky bacon? I assume it was all the low-fat food nazis who caused it to happen. Go to Tesco Wilton now and in an entire row of bacon, you may see one crappy pack of “pale streaky rashers” on special offer. Oh and pancetta of course, which is tooooooootally different.
I always look forward to bacon in US hotels when I travel because they still understand the art of the streaky rasher. Ultra thin and cooked till crisp. At the other extreme here we have these monster thick slices of bland minimal-fat back rashers which do nothing for me and are like chewing through a piece of rope.
Catherine grabbed a few packs of streaky in Martin Carey’s on Saturday. Only €2.50 for a big pack. I put em in a large pan with oil on Sunday morning and cooked them slow for over half an hour. What we were left with was fabulous crunchy bacon that made the ultimate BLT. Throughout the day, as we passed the cooker, each of us would grab a rasher or two. Perfect snack food.
Anyone with me to start a campaign to “Bring Streaky Back!”?
35 Replies to "Rashers"
conor on March 27, 2007
Gubbeen and Ummera are both superb rashers and Caherbeg is very good too (but I only ever see their back bacon).
I still don’t know why free-range pork isn’t available in supermarkets. I think Tesco and Co are missing a trick there.
Chitlins - are they diced up intestines?
sandy on March 27, 2007
I never thought i would like those streaky, fatty rashers, until that is i visited Candada and America a month ago. My God, how yummy they are.
conor on March 27, 2007
The problem with a lot of rasher you eat here is that they have only been cooked for a few minutes so the fat is still rubbery. If you do em for ages, most of the fat is rendered out and you are left with a tasty crunchy edge.
Julian on March 27, 2007
Chitlins are what you said. I’ve never chittled, but I do do a lot of cooking out of (Three Degrees) Sheila Ferguson’s great book Soul Food, which is good on what to do with the cheap bits of pigs, as well as how to cook possum and squirrel and so on. And since Cork’s appetite for offal is within living memory, I might just have the guts one day.
Caroline@Bibliocook on March 27, 2007
Ummera even do double packets of back and streaky rashers so if you’ve a back fan they can get their own favourites while you hoover up the crispy streaky variety. I’m always for the streaky side, myself!
conor on March 27, 2007
Sheila Ferguson - Gubbeen AND The Three Degrees. She is some woman.
Yeah yeah, I know it’s really Giana but it’s the best humour I can do until the coffee kicks in.
Considering I prefer natural sausage casings to artifical, I think I’d be cool with chitlins.
And grits too. “My cousin Vinny” in my head now. “Sure I’ve heard of grits. I just never actually *seen* a grit before”.
conor on March 27, 2007
I’d forgotten the Ummera double pack. Top idea!
Deborah on March 27, 2007
Conor - Tesco do a brand that are from Spain… they are vacuum packed in a bright blue pack (checked the fridge for the name but am fresh out) they taste exactly like regular old American bacon. My husband is American and can’t stand the rashers here, so I buy several packs any time I get to Tesco to satisfy his neverending taste for bacon! Haven’t seen them anywhere else… according to the the cashiers they are popular with “the foreign folk!” 
Much better than even streaky bacon here… which he finds not as good either…think there must be a difference in curing…
conor on March 27, 2007
I must check them out.
You should try some of the West Cork dry-cure ones on your husband - they bear no resemblance to the saline-injected Galtee or Denny stuff.
Some day, some day I’m gonna cure me some pork belly.
Amy on March 28, 2007
Funny to read everyone’s comments cos I miss the Irish rashers you’re being so harsh on! The American bacon experience here can be tooth-breaking. Okay maybe I’m not eating breakfast in the classiest of joints but…always look forward to a good bacon sandwich when I hit home. Or London. Whichever comes first.
kav on March 28, 2007
D’ya remember yer man Rashers on those ads in the 80’s? Thick Dub accent singing about “ould stoile rashers, the way they used ta be”. You should try to find him to spearhead your campaign.
Anthony Creswell on March 28, 2007
Conor,
Most disappointed that you had forgotten our mixed packs of streaky and back!
We have been trying to source a regular supply of free range or, better still, organic pigs but, believe it or not, we are beaten by our climate; it is just too damp and soggy for outdoor pigs to thrive here well. Yes, we can get the odd one every now and then, but there is no consistency in supply or quality. There are other problems such as availability of suitable slaughterhouses within easy reach of growers etc. and that’s another days work.
And don’t be scared of the fat in the bacon - that’s were all the taste and flavour is - and please don’t remove the rind!
conor on March 28, 2007
In my innocence I thought our climate was perfect for outdoor pigs. Bloody Jimmy’s Farm! Of course we have so few woods left here and I assume they would help things?
I do like a nice bit of back bacon on occasion but it’s usually cooked badly or has been boiled in its own saline rather than fried.
Bacon and liver anyone? With an onion gravy? I’ve just had my breakfast and I’m hungry already.
Either Rashers or Big Ed would do for a campaign. Or Ronnie Drew if we wanted to be really obvious.
Lal on March 29, 2007
I’ll gladly send u some American bacon if u’ll send me some rashers!
Ye guys r making my mouth water!
Lal
Julian on March 29, 2007
If any of you ever sees a grit for sale, let me know. I’ve made porridge with the coarsest maize meal you can find, souped it up with seasonings, sugar, milk or cheese &c. and I reckon that’s close-ish. But I’d like to try the real thing in some shape or form, just to see. Lal might be up for a swap? though I gather you have to be in the grits heartland to get them even in the US.
conor on March 29, 2007
I think Lal is in Colorado which is not really grits home? I have friends in Virginia which is heading in the right direction. I’ll ask.
Julian on March 29, 2007
Is that a future home-cooked bloggers’ breakfast I can smell?
conor on March 29, 2007
We’ve been talking about OpenCoffee and Coworking over at Argolon but Blogger Breakfasts with awesome food, now that’s something I can really get behind.
Lal on March 29, 2007
I’ve eaten it a couple of times on my travels (and yah not really around here) with differing results.
Lets just say its an acquired taste (but like Guiness eh!)
Babs on April 6, 2007
I miss rashers as well now that I live in the U.S. One trick I found was to add some maple syrup to the streaky near the end of cooking. It seems to make them taste more American and may help crisp them.
Also, you can order grits on line. Be careful not to purchase the instant kind. Real grits take a while to cook and need to be stirred regularly.
Fiona on April 10, 2007
Saw this interesting idea from the U.S., the Bacon of the Month Club - a different artisan bacon is delivered to your door each month for 12 months:
conor on April 10, 2007
Love it! Could do the same with sossies.
JD on April 11, 2007
Just back from my self-imposed exile (working) in the North. My mouth is watering with bacon rasher fever! Indeed the streakier the better. Not into the ‘pink’, I have to say, whilst my Co Limerick-born missus is into lightly cooked rashers. Into the furnace, I say! Had a friend from my student days in UCC who survived 3 years of economics on a staple of rashers - he could turn his hand to any rasher dish. My own favourite is crunchy bacon bits in a 2-egg omelette and goats cheese. Simple but tasty.
conor on April 11, 2007
I think I’m gonna have to try that omelette.
Julian on April 11, 2007
Thanks, Babs, for the grits tips. On a rasher theme again, look out for the new edition of Intermezzo magazine in a couple of weeks’ time. There’ll be a “nice piece about pigs and traditional cured bacon” according to the publisher - I’m in touch with him because our Iki beer was chosen for a plug. If the last (launch) edition is anything to go by, it’s good readin’ and good eatin’ (lots of recipes) and not too too precious about it. Bacon of the Month - brilliant.
JD on April 11, 2007
Am also a fan of a gammon or two. Check out this mouth watering recipe on this great site:
http://www.thepigsite.com/recipes/146/honey-mustard-and-pineapple-gammon-steaks
Babs on April 12, 2007
I also forgot to say that cooking streaky bacon is much better if it is put into the oven. I know this takes more time, but the outcome is worth it. Try medium high temps on a rack with a drip tray below. You will have to watch it the first time, then after that if you use the same brand it is a no-brainer.
conor on April 12, 2007
Mother-in-law uses the grill (broiler) for rashers and I have to admit she does a good one!
Caroline@Bibliocook on April 17, 2007
JD - was that an economics and finance student thing? My brother (UCC finance) used to nuke the bejaysus out of rashers in a Christmas pressie microwave. When I later inherited the microwave, after years of cooking rashers in student digs and then another while sitting around at home, it took days of cleaning to get rid of the stink of rancid bacon. Give me the grill any time!
conor on April 17, 2007
I tried the oven method on some back bacon on Sunday. Not bad but would have worked a lot better with streaky I think.
Babs on April 18, 2007
Back Bacon never works well in the oven. Stick to streaky and things will be o.k.
Julian on April 21, 2007
In case all that bacon gives you a thirst, I happened upon
this bacon-related cocktail.
conor on April 21, 2007
so so wrong but still
EloquentInsanity on May 4, 2007
Well, when we were in Ireland last, the rashers were pretty good. I absolutely loved the black pudding, and hope that it was type O negative LOL. Of course, being from the states, we may not be accustomed to the “old fare” of Ireland. Here in the states, we always try to purchase the thick cut of the bacon, which gives us an equally meaty and fatty content, and if cooked correctly, is absolutely delightful to the palate.
While I am here, does anyone know what is going on at Tara? The last I heard, a road was being dug through.
Julian on March 27, 2007
With you all the way, sir. Couldn’t have put it better meself, &c. I buy Gubbeen’s “catering streaky” from the Mammon Point market on Thursday mornings and recommend that unreservedly. Considering it’s fairly easy to grow pigs in this country, and we’re not even talking about prime cuts, the general terror of unlean meat clearly has some mighty power when it can displace considerations of economy and deliciousness. One decent breakfast or ham hock from time to time doesn’t mean you have to go the whole hog, health fiends. (Chitlins, anyone?)