Turkey bacon
Encyclopedia
Turkey bacon is a meat product usually prepared from smoked, chopped and reformed turkey and commonly marketed as a low-fat alternative to traditional bacon
. Turkey bacon can be used as a substitute for pork bacon where religious restrictions
forbid the consumption of pork.
or uncured, smoked, chopped, and reformed into strips that resemble traditional bacon
. Turkey bacon is cooked by pan-frying. Cured turkey bacon made from dark meat can be 90% fat free, and tastes more like ham
than bacon. It can be used in the same manner as traditional bacon (such as in a BLT sandwich
), but the low fat content of turkey bacon means it does not shrink while being cooked and has a tendency to stick to the pan.
s than pork bacon but can be similar in flavor. It can be used in the same manner as traditional bacon (such as in a BLT sandwich
), but its lower fat content makes it unsuitable in some situations, such as grilling.
Turkey bacon is also an alternative for people who do not eat pork for dietary or religious reasons. When Beautiful Brands International, a company from Tulsa
, Oklahoma
, signed a deal with a Saudi Arabia
n firm to open 120 locations in eight countries in the Middle East
, they had to substitute bacon
with turkey bacon in their recipes at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe
locations as consumption of pork is forbidden by Islam
ic customs.
turkey bacon contain 2.5 grams of fat
and 70 calories (32% of which from fat); turkey bacon from Louis Rich and Mr. Turkey contain 5 and 4 grams of fat, respectively, per two slices. By comparison, two strips of regular pork bacon contain, on average, some 7 grams of fat. Andrew Smith, in The Turkey: An American Story, notes that turkey products (including bacon) contain, on average twice as much sodium
as the pork products they replace.
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
. Turkey bacon can be used as a substitute for pork bacon where religious restrictions
Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork
Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork are a tradition in the Ancient Near East. Swine were prohibited in ancient Syria and Phoenicia, and the pig and its flesh represented a taboo observed, Strabo noted, at Comana in Pontus A lost poem of Hermesianax, reported centuries later by the...
forbid the consumption of pork.
Production and use
The meat for turkey bacon comes from the thigh of the turkey and can be curedCuring (food preservation)
Curing refers to various food preservation and flavoring processes, especially of meat or fish, by the addition of a combination of salt, nitrates, nitrite or sugar. Many curing processes also involve smoking, the process of flavoring, or cooking...
or uncured, smoked, chopped, and reformed into strips that resemble traditional bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
. Turkey bacon is cooked by pan-frying. Cured turkey bacon made from dark meat can be 90% fat free, and tastes more like ham
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
than bacon. It can be used in the same manner as traditional bacon (such as in a BLT sandwich
BLT sandwich
A BLT is a type of bacon sandwich. The standard BLT is made up of five ingredients: bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and bread. The five ingredients can be altered according to preference; for example, the bread can be toasted and the mayonnaise home-made...
), but the low fat content of turkey bacon means it does not shrink while being cooked and has a tendency to stick to the pan.
Alternative to pork bacon
Turkey bacon is lower in fat and calorieCalorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
s than pork bacon but can be similar in flavor. It can be used in the same manner as traditional bacon (such as in a BLT sandwich
BLT sandwich
A BLT is a type of bacon sandwich. The standard BLT is made up of five ingredients: bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and bread. The five ingredients can be altered according to preference; for example, the bread can be toasted and the mayonnaise home-made...
), but its lower fat content makes it unsuitable in some situations, such as grilling.
Turkey bacon is also an alternative for people who do not eat pork for dietary or religious reasons. When Beautiful Brands International, a company from Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, signed a deal with a Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n firm to open 120 locations in eight countries in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, they had to substitute bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
with turkey bacon in their recipes at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe
Camille's Sidewalk Cafe
Camille's Sidewalk Cafe is a restaurant franchise headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, specializing in healthful, "fast casual" cuisine. Camille's has 33 locations as of 2011 in the United States.-Overview:...
locations as consumption of pork is forbidden by Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic customs.
Nutritional value
Two strips of ButterballButterball
Butterball is a brand of turkey and other poultry products produced by Butterball LLC. The company manufactures food products in the United States and internationally — specializing in turkey, cured deli meats, raw roasts and specialty products such as soups and salads, sandwiches, and...
turkey bacon contain 2.5 grams of fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
and 70 calories (32% of which from fat); turkey bacon from Louis Rich and Mr. Turkey contain 5 and 4 grams of fat, respectively, per two slices. By comparison, two strips of regular pork bacon contain, on average, some 7 grams of fat. Andrew Smith, in The Turkey: An American Story, notes that turkey products (including bacon) contain, on average twice as much sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
as the pork products they replace.