What is the difference between pancetta and bacon?

Question

I see pancetta next to the bacon at a local butcher and was wondering what the difference was between the two?

score 20 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 05 '10 at 12:31

20

Bacon and pancetta are both made from pork bellies; the difference between them lies in how they’re prepared and cured. To make bacon, pork belly sides are brined and then smoked. Pancetta, the Italian version of bacon, is made by seasoning a pork belly side with salt and lots of pepper, curling it into a tight roll, and wrapping it in a casing to hold the shape. It’s cured, but it isn’t smoked.

From here.

answered Aug 05 '10 at 12:31

Tobias Op Den Brouw

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Actually, you can get smoked pancetta and un-smoked bacon. Usually Italian pancetta is much thinnly sliced or diced instead. Does not really cook well in a pan as bacon does. – lorenzog Aug 05 '10 at 13:24
Yeah, perhaps I should have mentioned some more varieties. :) – Tobias Op Den Brouw Aug 05 '10 at 13:30
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This assumes that we're asking about American bacon (uk: streaky bacon), not 'back bacon' (us: canadian bacon) – Joe Aug 05 '10 at 14:30
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@Joe: aka real bacon ;) – hobodave Aug 05 '10 at 14:33
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Canadian bacon, pfft. It's called peameal bacon. – Aaronut Aug 05 '10 at 14:36
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mhhhh pancetta... mmmmhhh bacon.... There are only two things that nature intended to be used only as food: honey, and pork. – Stefano Borini Aug 05 '10 at 21:01
Aaronut: +1000 for Peameal Bacon. – Chris Cudmore Aug 19 '11 at 18:38

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 10 '10 at 04:06

I addition to what Tabiasopdenbrouw said, and more to the point of usage/taste:

Bacon is typically cut thinner and ends up crispier than pancetta.
Both are often rendered for their fat before adding onions, peppers, etc... to the pan to pick up those pork fat flavors.
Pancetta is often saltier in flavor though this is usually the case because the pancetta is cut thicker or into dices, so you get bigger bites of it and thus more salt. This is the biggest different between the two.

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 06 '11 at 12:55

pancetta resembels to unsmoked bacon and it is cured in salt and spices usually rolled into a sausage shape and a bacon is normally not rolled and is smoked.....pancetta is from belly and bacon can be from back,belly and hind leg....hope this helps u...

score 0 · Answer 4 · edited Mar 09 '17 at 17:30

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Pancetta from what i have been shown how to make is nothing like bacon. ours is cured where bacon is not. Also after 9 months of curing it does not need to be cooked. We don't roll ours. we leave the ribs in for the curing process and clean it up after when we are ready to eat it. It has so much flavor on its own aswell with a piece of bread is amazing. enter image description here

edited Mar 09 '17 at 17:30

Community

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answered Dec 08 '14 at 18:51

Carmine De Luca

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Uh, whatever gave you the idea that bacon isn't cured? – Marti Dec 09 '14 at 00:45
my apologies, i did not do my research. It is i guess done in a different method than what i am use to. Curing can encompass a wider scope of methods. – Carmine De Luca Dec 10 '14 at 03:28

What is the difference between pancetta and bacon?

4 Answers4