SC - medieval bacon

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Stefan li Rous wrote:

> What was the medieval definition of bacon? And how was if usually cooked?

Hmmm. I can't give a clear, specifically period definition, but the
indicators are that bacon in period tended to be a side or half a pig,
preserved or cured. This generally involves salt and either semi-drying
and/or smoking.

A ham is a specific cut (corresponding to the round, thigh, or pestle)
of a larger, more mature animal, while bacon seems less specific, which
is why definitions are rather tough. It's really hard to categorize the
differences between the various related terms unconditionally.

A gammon or jambon of bacon is a small ham cut from a side of bacon. A
flead or flitch of bacon appears to be the belly or side meat Americans
know as bacon, which the British seem to call streaky bacon. A chine of
bacon is, essentially, a loin removed from a cured side of bacon, and
this is what some people today call back bacon. The trimmed, boneless
"eye" of the loin, thinly sliced into rounds, is what Americans call
Canadian bacon, which, so far as I know, no Canadian ever calls by that
name, or even eats. They eat back bacon and streaky bacon.

What the cured picnic shoulder portion of a side of bacon is called, I
haven't the faintest idea, but there is a nota in The Forme of Cury
which defines the loin as running from the hip bone to the head, so
perhaps it is part of the chine. I doubt it, though. I just think it's
covered by a term I have yet to run across.

Adamantius  
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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