Monty House
TVWBB Pro
Stopped by a C&C (Smart Foodservice) during my travels and found single (BIG) pork bellies (14 or 15 lb'ers, each) being sold in individual boxes--price of $2.10/lb.
Requires trimming, of course. Even with 20% scrap (think "salt pork"), that's still close to $2.50/lb. Cheapest I've seen for squared/trimmed bellies. I also like the idea of heavier bellies. The last ones I cooked were closer to 6 lbs. trimmed per belly, and I had a friend, after giving him a chunk, say "They were okay, but I buy 'center cut' pieces from the store." Although I wasn't exactly thrilled to get critiqued that hard after giving up some precious **free** bacon, I sorta understood his point, as the pieces were really skinny.
Requires trimming, of course. Even with 20% scrap (think "salt pork"), that's still close to $2.50/lb. Cheapest I've seen for squared/trimmed bellies. I also like the idea of heavier bellies. The last ones I cooked were closer to 6 lbs. trimmed per belly, and I had a friend, after giving him a chunk, say "They were okay, but I buy 'center cut' pieces from the store." Although I wasn't exactly thrilled to get critiqued that hard after giving up some precious **free** bacon, I sorta understood his point, as the pieces were really skinny.