On Fri, 12 Dec 2014 23:51:05 -0600, Sqwertz >
wrote:



>
>The USDA says bacon can weigh no more after curing and smoking than it
>did from it's raw, unprocessed state. So there is virtually no room
>for bacon to be pumped full of extra water (unlike most of the other
>"pre-brined/water added" meats out there). Fat content varies, but
>the USDA only REQUIRES that it shrink up at least 60% (when cooked to
>a 7% water content). So they actually require it to be quite fatty -
>bacon that is TOO lean is actually illegal ;-)
>


Not exactly. That applies to bacon bits, not actual bacon. See page
85
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/...ves/7620-3.pdf
! Cooked bacon bits or crumbles must shrink a minimum of
60%--Standards and Labeling
Policy Book.


>> The best supermarket bacon is Wright's, available at WalMart.
>
>Fortunately it's available at a lot of other places. My regular
>grocer usually offers free frozen hash browns or canned biscuits with
>a 24oz Wrights purchase, making it signoificantly cheaper than Walmart
>who practically never runs sales on food.

Locally, Stop & Shop has it for $8.99, WalMart is $8.49
I think I paid about $9 a pound for Nodines, but you get little
shrinkage, a better value as well as a better bacon. It is a 200 mile
round trip though.