The primary goal of dry-curing is to preserve the pork belly, making it safe to eat for longer periods of time. As the meat sits, salt in the cure draws water out of the meat, yielding a finished product that’s comparatively firm, dry, and resistant to spoilage—an essential trait that is significantly enhanced by the use of curing agents such as sodium nitrite and by the smoking process, which confers additional antimicrobial compounds that help ward off bacteria.
Over that long curing period, other changes occur as well. The salt also acts to concentrate the flavors of the pork belly. And, as Hartings explained, the protein in the pork breaks down as the result of both enzymatic and low-temperature Maillard reactions, forming new savory flavor molecules.
Salty, smoky, savory, and capable of being stored without refrigeration for months, bacon was historically an economical choice for those with limited access to fresh meat or expensive cured products made from more highly prized cuts of pork, such as ham. Because it is so intensely flavored, a small slice of this dry-cured bacon could be used to season an entire dish, helping extend the use of this meat for consumers who couldn’t afford more.
These days, there’s no scarcity of meat and no need to keep bacon for months on end. According to Roger Horowitz, professor of history at the University of Delaware, advances in refrigeration, processing technology, packaging, and transportation all changed the ways by which bacon was produced and made available, helping make wet-cured bacon ubiquitous in American supermarkets. Along the way, these advances changed the flavor and texture of bacon itself—and changed American expectations about what bacon should be.
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