Bacon has always been a staple of the American diet, and for the last three decades at least, has moved into every daypart and added to most entrées across dining. Once a designated breakfast food, bacon is now a savory ingredient in dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner in every segment of foodservice and in home cooking. Thick-cut bacon provides consumers with more of what they love about this iconic cut of pork that continually grows in popularity and applications in menus, often as a stand-alone at the center of a plate.

“Thick-cut bacon offers some ‘body’ to a slice of cooked bacon that others, thinner cuts do not,” said Nick Fantasma, retail sales and marketing, Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Mo. “It allows bacon to stand on its own and not just as an accompaniment to other foods. The thicker slice simply has more meat to it than a thinner one, so it carries more flavor in every bite.”

Emma Pierce, senior brand manager for Daily’s Premium Meats in St. Joseph, Mo., a subsidiary of Seaboard Foods in Merriam, Kan., added, “Thick-cut bacon delivers a richer, bolder flavor, a more substantial bite and better texture compared to traditional cuts. The increased thickness allows it to retain more fat and flavor during cooking, resulting in an intense, smoky profile that bacon lovers appreciate. Whether used in recipes or enjoyed on its own, thick cut bacon offers a more indulgent and satisfying experience.”

Quality in, Thick out

Building a reputation of craftsmanship and tradition since 1893, Daily’s has offered thick-cut bacon for decades. Daily’s responded to demand for its hearty, thick cut bacon by adding extra thick and steak cut bacon to its portfolio to provide a premium experience with a meatier and more substantial bite.

“We offer a variety of thickness options to cater to a range of preferences,” Pierce said. “We go all the way up to ½-inch thick. That’s some pretty thick bacon.”

The thickness of Paradise Locker’s bacon has not changed since the Fantasma’s took ownership of the shop in 1995.

“Our standard bacon is what most retailers consider thick cut, so almost all of the bacon we produce is ‘thick cut,’” said Nick Fantasma. “About an eighth of an inch is our standard thickness and our thick cut is closer to ³/₁₆ of an inch.”

Both Paradise Locker and Daily’s agree that a high-quality thick cut bacon begins with the pork belly of a high-quality hog. Paradise uses only, “young, fat hogs” for its bacon. That coupled with a slow smoking process gives the company a more tender product, said Louis Fantasma, chief executive officer at Paradise.

Read the entire article in the upcoming bacon supplement for Meat+Poultry.