{"id":5023,"date":"2021-05-17T06:23:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T06:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gastronomicspain.com\/blog\/?p=5023"},"modified":"2021-09-22T13:53:26","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T11:53:26","slug":"pork-belly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gastronomicspain.com\/blog\/en\/pork-belly\/","title":{"rendered":"Which is the pork belly which triumphs the most?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that pork belly <\/strong>and bacon <\/strong>are different products? I\u2019m sure you didn\u2019t. But that\u2019s right. They come from the same area of the pig, the fat<\/strong>, but their elaboration is different.<\/p>\n

In this article we will show you all the peculiarities of pork belly<\/strong>, as well as the differences existing between bacon <\/strong>and fat<\/strong>. And last but not least, where to buy this kind of products, as well as many others, if you live outside Spain and you can\u2019t find these delicacies of our gastronomy there. Click here<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and you will find a wide catalogue of typical Spanish products.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What is pork belly?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pork belly <\/strong>is a meat product which comprises the skin and the lower layers of the skin of the pig or pork, precisely from their ventral muscles. There comes the name of pork belly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The pork belly <\/strong>comes from one of the meatier parts of pork<\/strong>. Their high content in fats provides it with much flavour. As much fat that, when it leaks it, every dish gets soaked with a delicious flavour.<\/p>\n

This part of the pig is also known as fat <\/strong>or bacon<\/strong>. Many of you may be asking if they are the same product: they are not the same product, even though their origins are. Now we are going to explain the differences among these three products in detail.<\/p>\n

Differences among pork belly, bacon, and fat<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As we have said before, both pork belly <\/strong>and bacon <\/strong>come from pig, precisely from its fat <\/strong>and of its fattier part. These three products are very similar, and that\u2019s why they are easily confused.<\/p>\n

Pork belly<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pork belly <\/strong>has a wider meaning than just bacon <\/strong>and fat. <\/strong>There are two kinds of pork belly: the lean pieces of bacon <\/strong>and the fattier parts of pork belly <\/strong>itself. Thus, we would find them in the middle ground of fat proportion.<\/p>\n

Moreover, this term sometimes makes also reference to the raw and non-processed piece. This way, it is considered to be bacon<\/strong>, in the case that it undergoes the process of smoking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For the same reasons, pork belly <\/strong>is considered to be of the highest quality, as its meat is fresher, no matter it is natural or marinated.<\/p>\n

Bacon<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As well as pork belly<\/strong>, bacon <\/strong>comes from fat<\/strong>. But when preparing it, the first difference appears, as pork belly <\/strong>makes reference to its natural and raw state, whereas bacon <\/strong>is smoked.<\/p>\n

It is usually the most common among these three products, and its consumption is typical for breakfasts and in other kinds of recipes such as pasta and saut\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

Fat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With regards to fat<\/strong>, it is the amount of fat which is under the skin of pig. It is the fattier part which covers the whole body of the animal. Its use for food consumption is low, despite its characteristics. It is mostly used in industrial plants of fat melting.<\/p>\n

How to prepare pork belly<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For those of you who are the most curious, we are going to explain how pork belly <\/strong>is prepared. Easy and simple, I assure you.<\/p>\n

Firstly, the ingredients named before are mixed, so the salty pork belly <\/strong>is prepared. This mix is divided in parts, so we reserve a part for its later use.<\/p>\n

Then, the meat is perforated with a fork, and then we sprinkle the preparation over both sides of meat.<\/p>\n

Using gloves, rub the pork meat<\/strong> energetically. Once rubbed, place this product\u00a0<\/strong>in a plastic bag. Leave the entrance of the bag open and let it freeze for 4 days at 14\u00baC.<\/p>\n

Once these days have passed, the pork belly <\/strong>is extracted from the bag and it is rinsed with cold water for over 20 minutes, approximately, in order to remove the excess of salts in the surface.<\/p>\n

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Finally, the pork belly is hung in a hook and there it is dried outdoors until it loses all the humidity.<\/p>\n

This way, you will get a tasty and delicious pork belly<\/strong>, perfect for its consumption.<\/p>\n

Different treatments for fat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This fat <\/strong>which is going to be consumed undergoes a simple treatment process, this way it is preserved, and the flavour of the product is boosted. Now, we will show you the different usual treatments.<\/p>\n

Salting<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pork belly <\/strong>is made dry, only by applying coarse salt. The stages of the treatment are:<\/p>\n