@ekename,
bacon is cooking's equivalent of duck tape.
Of course, I admit that our North American style bacon (which is smoked and brined pork belly) v its Italian cousin Pancetta , do have obvious differences which define their uses in various soups.
Since Pancetta isnt smoked its flavor is totally derived from the cured meat, and its the BEST form for stuff like soups and sauces that call themselves "Carbonara" (Italian wedding soup, or Penne Carbonara).
Weve tried recipes for carbonara Penne using reglar bacon and the sauce's delicacy is overpowered by the smokiness of bacon, whereas Pancetta is ideal .
However, if yall are makin a bean,bacon, and tmater soup, its gotta b a smoky thick cut bacon. Collard soup is good but that uses a ham hock, not bacon.
Bacon and Pancetta impart unique flavors to their soups .For most soups (like bacon for New England v pancetta for Maryland Italian style chowders).
Just as long as its belly bacon and not that high hog offal that the English call bacon and like to at for breakfast. Thats more like our Virginia Hams, too salty to eat off the butt without water purging the salt out of it
