Bacon, a cured and dried traditional delicacy, is widely loved in many parts of China. The production process of bacon is complicated and elaborate, and one of the key steps is steaming. However, regarding the order of steaming bacon, there have always been two very different practices: first steamed and then cut or cut and then steamed? This question has always been a matter of opinion, and each side of the argument. Today, we will explore the order of bacon steaming, to see which practice is better.

Steam first and then cut or cut and then steam? It seems a simple question, but behind it lies a different culinary philosophy and cooking skills.

Steaming before cutting

The advantages of this approach are:

Retaining moisture: when steamed, the whole piece of bacon is heated evenly, the internal moisture is not easy to lose, and the meat will be more tender and juicy after steaming.

Evenly flavored: After curing the bacon, the meat is so tight that it is difficult for the salt and spices to penetrate y. Steaming the meat first allows the water to penetrate back into the meat, distributing the salt and spices evenly and making the bacon taste better.

Beautiful appearance: After steaming, the surface of the whole piece of bacon is smooth and flat, which makes it more beautiful and visually appealing when sliced.

Cutting and steaming

The advantages of this practice are:

Convenient slicing:

Cutting and steaming can be cut into slices of different sizes and thicknesses according to the demand, which is convenient for eating and cooking.

Removing excess fat: During the steaming process, some of the fat inside the bacon will precipitate out, and steaming it after cutting will remove this excess fat and make the bacon taste more refreshing.

More even heating: thinly sliced bacon is heated more evenly, and the steaming time is shorter, avoiding over-steaming and causing the meat to turn into firewood.

Which is better?

There's no absolute best or worst way to choose the order in which to steam bacon, it depends on personal preference and the purpose of the cooking.

If you're looking for juicy, flavorful and beautiful bacon, it's better to steam it before cutting it.

If you want to remove excess fat, make it easier to eat, or heat it more evenly, then it's better to cut it before steaming.

It is important to note that no matter which order of steaming, it is necessary to master the heat and time. Steaming time is too short, bacon can not steam through, affecting the taste; steaming time is too long, bacon is easy to become firewood hard, lose tenderness. Generally speaking, the whole piece of bacon steaming time in about 15-20 minutes, sliced bacon steaming time in 5-10 minutes can be.

In addition, when steaming bacon, you can also add some spices or seasonings, such as star anise, cinnamon, sesame leaves and so on, in order to enrich the flavor of bacon. Steamed bacon can be eaten in そのまま, can also be sliced fried, stewed, steamed and other ways to further processing and cooking, to make a variety of delicious dishes.

The choice of the order of steaming bacon is an exploration of culinary culture and the use of cooking skills. According to different needs and preferences, choose the right order of steaming, in order to produce the most in line with their own taste of bacon, enjoy the tongue of delicious and satisfied.