Which tastes better regular bacon or turkey bacon?

Regular

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by Patrick Sills

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Bacon isn't exactly the healthiest choice of food to accompany those eggs, but it certainly tastes good, and has become a tradition. Regular bacon of course is made from pork. While bacon processed from turkey meat is slightly lower in fat and significantly lower in sodium, there is a significant trade-off. And what is that?

The taste of turkey bacon could best be described as that of heated cardboard. The same applies for turkey ham or turkey hot dogs. I for one am willing to sacrifice a bit of coronary well-being or elevated blood pressure for the pure enjoyment of taste, and this applies to anything I eat. Salads may be good for you, but they taste for the most part like a clump of freshly-mowed grass, even when one tries to mask it with dressing. I'll therefore jump right to the steak and potatoes. And while we're on the topic, those gourmet dishes that don't even look like anything remotely edible don't do it for me. either. I'm a simple man. When it comes to food choices, I'll take pizza, hamburgers, steak, or tacos. A dish such as broiled mutton chops sauteed in lemon juice and topped with mushrooms, beets, and steamed okra has its place; and that's with the uppity, snobbish Top Chef mindset. When it comes to my appetite, I'm just not the daring type. I'll stick to what I know.

Other than a bowl of cereal, what can be simpler than a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon strips, and some toast? Note that I said scrambled eggs; NOT omelets coated with cheese, onions, green peppers, and the like. As I said, my preferences are simple. (I also hate cheese. Odd when you consider that I live in Wisconsin).

But regarding bacon, I must make a confession. I am quite atypical. Most people prefer it to be crispy. I however like it very soft and chewy. If you can hold a piece of bacon horizontally between your thumb and index finger, I will consider it overcooked. In fact, I can't count the number of times I've sent bacon back in restaurants. What can I say? Trichinosis or not, I like my bacon half-raw. And incidentally, it has never made me sick in almost 50 years.

To many of you, I may be considered boring and unadventurous, but if the contents on a plate placed before me look or smell gross, I won't touch it. As for turkey or any other poultry, the taste is agreeable as long as these meats stay within their intended class and do not attempt to take the place of real beef or pork. There is simply no substitute.

Sorry, but there is no brand of turkey bacon sitting on any supermarket shelf that will fool me. I'll ask for pork every time.

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