Not all bacon performs the same way in a busy kitchen. While the term “center-cut” gets used often, not every product delivers the consistency you need on the line. Here’s what you should know about center-cut bacon—and how to tell if you’re actually receiving a center-cut product.

Why Center-Cut Matters

In any high-volume kitchen, consistency counts. Center-cut bacon is typically trimmed from the middle portion of the pork belly—the section with a more balanced lean-to-fat ratio and fewer irregular slices. These slices have better yield, more uniform cook times and a cleaner presentation on the plate.

Key benefits of true center-cut bacon include:

Reduced waste from
burning and breakage

Consistent cooking
due to uniform slices

Better plate
presentation

Did You Know: “Center-Cut” is Not a Regulated Term

Just because a box of bacon says “center-cut” doesn’t mean every slice in that case comes from the true center of the belly. That’s because there’s no industry standard requiring a certain percentage of center-cut slices. You’ll still get shoulder or flank-end pieces in most cases, even from brands that have tight trim specs.

Flank

Center-Cut

Shoulder

That’s why it’s worth performing a slice audit. If you’re using bacon labeled as “center-cut”, grab a case and take a closer look at three elements:

Are many slices inconsistently shaped with an unbalanced lean-to-fat ratio?

Are you seeing a lot of irregular, narrow or overly fatty end pieces?

Are your cooks having to sort or trim to get usable slices?

If the answer is yes, you may not be getting the value you think.

How We Trim for True Consistency

Some bacon products are trimmed to tighter specs than others. For example, our OLD SMOKEHOUSE^® Hardwood Smoked Bacon is cut from a narrower center section of the belly—up to an inch tighter than typical industry trim. This helps deliver better yield and cook performance.

Our GRIDDLEMASTER^® and BLACK LABEL^® brands also include center-cut options crafted with kitchen efficiency in mind.

See If Your Bacon is Actually Center-Cut

Want to know what you’re really working with? Take a few minutes during prep to do a slice audit. Lay out a few random stacks from your current case and count how many are true center-cut. This is the best way to see if your bacon is giving you the consistency you need.

Need a hand?
Reach out to your Hormel Foodservice rep. They’ll stop by for a quick side-by-side product comparison and help you evaluate performance slice by slice.

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