The Ubiquity of Bacon And Other Observations
Bacon has a long history of killing would-be vegetarians. This weekend at a wedding reception in Connecticut I, without thinking, plucked a bacon wrapped scallop from a tray and had the delicious morsel poised for consumption when I stopped, stunned by the power of bacon, and tried, without success, to continue my conversation with a Keyo cousin while fumbling, confused, with the still laden toothpick. More than a few of the appetizers passed around that evening contained either prosciutto or bacon. The chowder had bacon. Bacon, as I have already written, is everywhere. But my decades-long affair with bacon wrapped scallops, one of the most delightful combinations ever invented, was over. I left it to be swept up with a soiled napkin. There are other things to eat.
I find it a little strange that I have to defend my decision to not eat pigs. The overwhelming majority of pigs suffer through short, horrible lives. Anyone out there willing to defend the indefensible? The problem is that most people can’t be bothered to give the issue much thought. Pork is delicious; end of story. The sterile grocery store packaging provides the necessary distance. The suffering is a thousand miles away.
The most common reaction I hear when people meet my pigs is that they are like dogs. My pigs are friendly and seek attention. They’re about the size of a large dog and are covered in black, bristly hair making them look more on the furry side than some other pigs. Enter their pen and they’ll flop at your feet looking for a belly rub. But people think they are like dogs because few know what pigs are like. I’m not pretending to have deep porcine experience; my last post is proof of that. I’ve only known five other pigs. And I must admit that when I first saw them my mind went straight to dogs. But four months later I see only pigs. Pigs acting like pigs. This is an important distinction.
Last weekend was consumed by food processing. 17 pounds of sauerkraut. 7 quarts of tomatoes. 1/2 gallon of fermented tomatoes. Roasted plum tomatoes. 40# quahogs. I happen to know that a smoked quahog is an excellent substitute for bacon.