Hungarian bacon, how do I eat/cook this?

[abefroman]

Hungarian bacon, how do I eat/cook this?

Is a recetangle about 3 inchec wide, 4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick.

Its got a layer of smoke pork on top then a layer of fat? a layer of Canadian Bacon type pork, and a thicker later of fat?

Its really hard to cut/chew through, im not sure if its cook already of what.

Has anyone seen this before? What are you suppose to do with it?

It looks like these:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Photos/gypsybacon.jpg
http://www.erniesdeli.com/ECDImages/...svarybacon.gif

[OzarkRose]

Do you think its like a piece of salt pork meant to be cut into cubes and put in another dish, like "lardons"?

[Greg]

If you look at the bottom layer, it's the rind (the actual skin of the pig). If you cut that off, you might have more luck eating it like traditional American bacon, but I would use it as Rose mentions above.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by Rose Konold

Do you think its like a piece of salt pork meant to be cut into cubes and put in another dish, like "lardons"?

Yes, what kind of dishes could I put it in?

[OzarkRose]

Beans! But seriously, you can use it to flavor reduction-type sauces or add it to meat based stuffings. Be carefull of the salt content though.

[JvK]

Ok,
I guess I'm the only magayar (hungarian for hungarian) reading this list.

What you have is what has been Americanized and has replaced real hungarian "SZALONNÁK" or Szalona.

However, your item has meat and is NOT the REAL Szalona of old. Real Szalona has no meat, it is smoked a special way and is more like "Speck" also known as "Greasy Bread" but is smoked/seasoned differently with lots of paprika. Szalona has NO PAPRIKA and that process is what I need to know and am seeking before it becomes lost forever.

The meat kind is usually sliced and fried, or cubed, thick sliced & put into beans, etc for a bacon flavoring or a bacon smoke flavor.

Some speck is sliced very thin, placed on bread and melted - the hide (skin) is removed.

The hungarian szalona was a "peasants meal". The discards of the rich because it was just fat. That fat by peasants would be cut into slabs 2 x 3 inches or so and placed on a skewer running just under the hide or skin the fat side would be cross cut about 15mm deep into 10mm squares.

The fat would then be roasted over an open fire until dripping and then pressed against salted rye bread - the bread could also have onions etc. The real great part is when the fat catches fire and is extinguished on the bread toasting everything on the bread - the chared bits of fat are cut off and placed onto the bread and also eaten. The slab is cut again and your good to go for more until nothing is left but the hide itself.

This is making me hungry..... Oh, obviously it is NOT diet or healthy food but excellent eating.

JvK