How to Cut up Slab Bacon and Remove the Rind

I am one of those home cooks who doesn’t like to throw anything away, especially if I can find a use for it in the soup pot. The rind from slab bacon should be removed before the slab is cut and cook, but don’t discard it once you’ve removed it. Instead, toss it into a boiling homemade broth or stock to add a touch of meatiness and smoke. Removing the rind is not difficult; these pictures will help you grasp the technique in no time. 

Start in one corner and pull back the rind, slipping the blade of a sharp chef’s knife between the rind and the layer of bacon.  

Keep pulling off the rind as you work the knife under it. The knife will help you loosen the rind from the meat layer. If you are strong enough, you might be able to tear off the rind without needing the knife for help. 

You’re almost there! 

Once the rind is removed, cut the bacon into long 1/2-inch thick strips. 

Then you can stack the strips and ...

… cut them into cubes or 

… into lardons, which are 1/2-inch thick by 1 to 2-inch long bacon strips.

Lardons are perfect for tossing into roasted vegetables like this medley of pearl onions and mushrooms. Because they take longer to brown and cook than diced bacon, they slowly release their marvelous bacon drippings into the dish, adding flavor and retaining their soft chewiness.

 

The French traditionally use lardons in Coq au Vin, and we were lucky to be guided by D.C. Chef Robert Wiedmaier, who shares his personal recipe for this classic dish in Bacon Nation.