Polish Nordic-Style Bacon

[pastafreak]

I saw this in Sainsbury's and thought it looked interesting. Has anyone ever had it?

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/chilled-polish/sokolow-nordic-bacon-480g

[barry1010]

I haven't tried it but it is far too processed, made from reformed belly.

[douglas9401]

I'd give it a try but I've recently taken the pledge.

[pastafreak]

Actually Barry, I agree. I read the ingredients after I posted and saw things I didn't like...and too many of them.

Ermmm...which pledge is that, Douglas?

[douglas9401]

https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/5000204690088

[sandra4444]

Anything that's got reformed on I would stay clear of, including a lot of the so called reformed ham sold in our supermarkets.

[barry1010]

I love pork belly, which of course makes streaky bacon - but there is no need for it be 'formed', just sliced is fine.

[pastafreak]

Why didn't I think of that Douglas?? ;)

I usually...well,always avoid reformed...Sandra. Oddly, it didn't look reformed in the shop. Looked like a nice slab of belly pork.

[sandra4444]

I think they call it reformed for 2 reasons. 1. It can allow them to mix other cuts of pork into the belly. 2. Reformed really means its tossed around in like a washing machine barrel that contains the curing salts and any other old crap they care to mix in ( additives)

Because it comes out the barrel so wet they have to put it into a flat shaped container to set and drain excess water.

This curing method takes about 1/2 hours. To dry cure a real whole ham can take about 2 weeks.The big plus with reformed pork ham is they can chuck just about anything in the barrel ( all cuts) and then form it into a manageable shape for slicing and then packing. Hence your sliced ham.

[barry1010]

Surprisingly, that product is as expensive as Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Wiltshire British Back Bacon. I would have expected it to be much cheaper

[sandra4444]

It could be due to import costs. But any product that states " Style" really indicates a copy of. Not the real deal. If you really want anything that tastes good always go for (Dry cured on the packet) But it will cost you. I know all this because I knew someone who worked in this industry. Taste the difference brands are not always what they are cracked up to be. ( Dry cured is the key to look for)

[barry1010]

They call is 'Nordic style' because they can't call it Danish, as it was made in Poland.
Most foodstuff from Poland is very cheap

[sandra4444]

True. The Dutch ruled the world when it came to producing pigs. Not so much now since other countries started to produce. The USA production is now massive.

The dutch however produced the first wet curing machines, that allowed them to produce reformed ham / pork.

[douglas9401]

One of the rasher moves in the industry.

[sandra4444]

^^ Ha ha very good ^^ The Dutch are responsible for all the crap ham in the shops. :)

[Buenchico]

This video gives an idea of how it cooks. It actually looks quite tasty to me!

[Buenchico]

Since studying Polish for a year at evening school some years back, I've taken quite an interest in Polish foods and I've tried many of the offerings found on supermarket shelves (as well as visiting the Polish restaurant in Cambridge several times too).

Restaurant-prepared Polish food can be rather good but I've struggled to find a great deal that I like in the shops. For example, I generally find pierogi (Polish dumplings, which can have a vast range of fillings) to be too stodgy and bland for my taste. The gulasz is quite tasty though
https://groceries.asda.com/product/meals-ingredients/pudliszki-gulasz-pork-beef-goulash/910001589420
and, having read this thread, I've just decided to open a jar of gołąbki for my tea!
https://groceries.asda.com/product/meals-ingredients/pudliszki-golabki-stuffed-cabbage-with-pork-meet-in-tomato-sauce/910002524795

[pastafreak]

If I'd bought it, I could have sent it to you Chris

[douglas9401]

"pork meet in tomato sauce"

Lost in translation? :-)

[Buenchico]

"Pork meet", for Douglas ;-)
https://idausa.lattecdn.com/assets/files/farmed-animals/2.png

[FredandGeorge]

So many of these answers are pathetic.  There is nothing wrong with the additives if all you're going to do is eat a little of this a few times a year.  I bet a majority of the people bitching regularly eat products containing veg oils, which can only be extracted using chemicals, and are then rinsed using more chemicals, all of which leave a residue that causes inflammation, the primary cause of many cancers.  Or they use olive oil that hasn't been cold-pressed and has been filtered...a bunch of ignorant, self-righteous hypocritics.