Wet Cured Versus Dry Cured Bacon

In choosing our lineup, we decided to focus on dry-cured bacons. Most of the bacon made in the United States is wet-cured. Wet-curing, in which the pork bellies are either injected with or immersed in brine, is a relatively quick process that takes just 6 to 24 hours to complete. By contrast, dry-curing, in which the pork bellies are rubbed with the cure ingredients and left to sit, takes much longer to complete: The products we tested were cured for periods that ranged between several days and several months.

The dry-curing process is significant for two reasons. First, it’s the more traditional method for making bacon in the United States, with deep roots in American foodways. Second, the longer dry-curing process can generate more complex, interesting flavors—flavors that help justify the higher cost of artisanal bacon. As Matt Hartings, associate professor of chemistry at American University, put it, “People don’t realize it, but time is one of the most important and expensive ingredients a food can have.” The longer it takes to make a slab of bacon, the more costly it can be to produce—but also the greater the opportunities to develop its flavor.

Eaten on their own, these traditional-style bacons were very salty. Some tasters liked that saltiness, but for many, the experience was akin to “drinking ocean water.” Still, these salty bacons were fine when buffered by other ingredients; sometimes, we even preferred them. They were fantastic when used to season the green beans and were particularly welcome in BLTs, where tasters appreciated how their “bold” salt contents contrasted with the sweet tomato and astringent lettuce. For eating plain, however, we preferred bacons with more moderate salt contents. Our winner had just 150 milligrams of sodium per serving, the lowest of the bunch; it had been cured for four days, one of the shortest curing periods of the bacons in our lineup.

The Mysterious Disappearance of the Smokehouse Burger

Despite its popularity among customers, the bacon smokehouse burger suddenly disappeared from McDonald’s menus in 2020, after just 2 years on the market. McDonald’s made no formal announcement about its removal.

Some theorize that it was eliminated as part of broader menu cuts during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when supply chain issues forced restaurants to tighten menus. The timing does line up – smokehouse burgers were still widely available in late 2019 but gone from most locations by mid-2020.

Without official word from McDonald’s corporate, the reason for the burger’s quiet retirement remains unknown. There was no shortage of disappointed fans, many of whom took to social media to protest its removal from menus.

Choosing the Right Bacon

For the best results, opt for a thick-cut artisanal bacon over regular thin-sliced grocery store bacon. The extra thickness allows the smoke flavor to penetrate fully and gives you the best texture.

Good bacon options include:

• Thick-cut applewood smoked
• Peppered
• Maple-flavored
• Cherrywood smoked

The bacon should have good marbling of fat throughout. Avoid bacon labeled “lean”. You want plenty of tasty fat to keep it moist during the smoking process.

Buy quality bacon from your local butcher shop, warehouse club or artisanal bacon company for superior results.

Our Favorite Artisanal Bacon: Vande Rose Applewood Smoked Artisan Dry Cured Bacon

You can’t go wrong with any of these bacons. There’s a product in our lineup for every palate, and each one has a unique identity, with some products shining more brightly in certain applications than others. Our favorite, however, is an all-around superstar, delicious every way we tried it. Once again, Vande Rose Applewood Smoked Artisan Dry Cured Bacon, $29.07 per pound (shipping included), took top honors. Our panel loved how well this “perfectly balanced” bacon’s moderate smoke and salt contents aligned with its pleasantly sweet flavor. Cured for four days and smoked for a relatively short 12 hours, this “pretty much ideal” bacon was nevertheless complex, with outstanding “nutty,” “meaty,” and “savory” overtones. And at 3.9 millimeters thick, it was “substantial” and pleasantly chewy. As one taster put it, “I would eat this bacon every day if I could.” It’s not cheap, but judging by the raves it received, we think it’s worth the occasional splurge.

Winning Traits

• Good on its own and in more complex dishes
• Moderate smoke and salt levels
• Complex flavor with a little funk