The only time we eat pig products is
when we have marshmallows (gelatin) for s’mores on vacation once a year, when
we take vitamins with gelatin (but we try to buy those without gelatin), and
when we forget to not eat pie that we didn’t make (many pre-made pie crusts
have lard) or bean dips at parties (most people buy the regular refried beans
which contains lard).
But other than that … no pork!
Thankfully, I never did like pork
anyway. (I always thought it smelled
like garbage when I cooked it – literal garbage!) But still, every once a while I miss
bacon. And we don’t care for most
store-bought turkey bacon because of all the additives. So that left us baconless!
But I found two perfectly acceptable
substitutes for bacon, especially if you are adding it to recipes.
1. Slice up and pan-fry or bake beef hot
dogs. If you get them to brown a little
bit, it gives it that bacon-y taste.
2. Pan-fry thick slices of high-quality, smoked
turkey lunchmeat in a little bit of butter or olive oil. It will stick to the pan a lot, but keep
flipping it and pressing it down until it gets browned on both sides. (My husband discovered this one. And it’s a great way to use up lunchmeat that’s
going to waste in your fridge when no one wants sandwiches.)
(I would have browned it more but the kids were anxiously waiting for it.)
There – “bacon” that’s a whole lot better
for you!
