Andrew Mercer: Things i learned today: “side pork” is something that *looks* exactly like bacon but is completely and utterly unlike bacon in every other respect. Colossal disappointment in literally every way.

Things i learned today: “side pork” is something that *looks* exactly like bacon but is completely and utterly unlike bacon in every other respect. Colossal disappointment in literally every way.

It's uncured, unsmoked pork belly?

It’s basically the worst pork chop you ever had.

I'm curious where this is served? Seems like an "interesting" regional cuisine

We’re in central Minnesota visiting my partner’s mom, but neither of them knew what it was. It was next to the bacon but looked thicker cut so I picked they instead. Huge mistake!

I got it at McDonald’s Meats which is on the way to their house from MSP. It’s probably one of my top five favorite stores on the planet. They have amazing beef jerky that you can order online. www.mcdonaldsmeats.com

McDonald's Meats | Products, Processing, Cooking, and Specialswww.mcdonaldsmeats.com McDonald's Meats is located in Clear Lake, MN, and our meat market features a full-service meat counter, special cuts, as well as homemade sausages, and our world-famous jerky.

Not served as its own thing, per se. Used to add fat and porkiness to beans, stews, braised greens, etc. at least that's how it's used in the South.

This really would have been a much better use of it. Although seems like you could also do all of that with bacon and it’d be better.

Also, deep fried pork belly certainly had it's moment in the mid aughts in culinary culture. Also phenomenal in hong shao rou, Chinese "red braised" pork belly using dark soy

I definitely made deep fried pork belly confit (Ruhlman, Charcuterie) in the aughts!

Yeah, but that's taking a fatty, bland cut of meat, and turning it into a gold brick of deliciousness! One that gets very carefully sliced into small pieces to be savored with plenty of rice! Pardon me while I foodgasm...

Just lacks all those yummy nitrates. And smoke, of course.

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