Is pork belly the same as bacon?

Chef's answer
Pork belly is uncured, un-smoked and un-sliced bacon. So bacon is mostly cured (you can buy uncured bacon), smoked and sliced. ... Pork belly has juicy fat layers wrapped around the meat. There isn't much meat, but once cooked it becomes tender, similar in texture to a pork loin.
Frequently asked Questions 🎓
When it comes time to use your salt pork and you pull it out of the barrel, you need to soak it, sometimes overnight, but at least 2 hours. You want to soak it in fresh water, changing the water often so that you get as much salt out of the pork as possible. You're never going to get it all.
Because of its high salt- and fat-content, salt pork is not an ideal substitute for ham hock. A scant cup of broth made from a piece of fried salt pork might convey the same porky richness as a cup or two of ham-hock broth, but generally, differences in texture and bulk substantially affect recipe results..
If using salt pork, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt pork and cook for 10 minutes. ... Add rosemary and continue cooking until tender, adding more water as necessary to keep meat covered by 1/4 inch, about 30 minutes for salt pork or 10 minutes for pancetta. Remove from heat and set aside.
A Little Pink Is OK: USDA Revises Cooking Temperature For Pork : The Two-Way The U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered the recommended cooking temperature of pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. That, it says, may leave some pork looking pink, but the meat is still safe to eat.
Cookbooks instruct to cook pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F (71C), which is the medium degree of doneness. Actually, under FDA guidelines, pork can be cooked to 145F (63C) for 3 minutes or 150F (66C) for 1 minute. Cooking pork at a lower temperature improves the moisture and flavor of the product..
It's perfectly fine to cook pork to medium, or even medium rare if you so choose. ... While you're free to even cook it to medium rare if you like, we suggest you stick to medium (about 140-145 degrees), because medium-rare pork can tend to be a little chewy. Cooked to medium, it's tender and juicy.
It's perfectly fine to cook pork to medium, or even medium rare if you so choose. ... While you're free to even cook it to medium rare if you like, we suggest you stick to medium (about 140-145 degrees), because medium-rare pork can tend to be a little chewy. Cooked to medium, it's tender and juicy.
A few more cooking questions 📍