The problem of trichinosis has been essentially eliminated in the US, and with it the requirement to cook pork to 165* which essentially makes it drier than cardboard. New temp is 140* (chops, loin and such) with a rest so you have a rosy pink juicy piece of meat.
Dukey says and to be extra safe laws were passed forbidding selling uncooked pork.
That would be a bit too prohibitive, dontcha know!! LOL
The bacon might be uncured pork belly. Ask K. if it is smoked, in which case you might look at TJ's applewood uncured bacon. DEELIcious.
K.--good item about the chlorine--I thought we were discussing pork, but that is true, unfortunately.

Will just say that if you know how to a country ham, it is not dry. But it's not a quick process if you want it to be moist.

I have never had raw bacon and I am intrigued....sliced really thin? How do those of you who do this prefer it?

I eat raw bacon in small squares, about as big as you might put on a cocktail cracker.

I prefer it soon after it comes out of the fridge, usually when Imam cutting it up for something cooked, as Gretchen describes. And I agree with her judgement on the Trader's smoked, incurred bacon.

Any of those horrible maple bacons with artificial flavoring would be even worse cold.

The country bacon in the Vosges has an outer coaating of herbs and spices. When you first see it, it looks like it was dropped in a pile of leaves. :-)

My supplier is Au Bon Lard de Campagne in La Petite Raon, but their shop is almost never open since they work the markets of the region. I know that they are based at the morning market in Senones on Mondays... Looks like I'll be driving there in the pouring rain today...

Maybe you can post a picture of it sometime?

Enjoy!

And thanks everyone! I've learned a lot from this thread, although I'm looking at chicken here in the US a little differently now...

Country ham raw is not dry--and is delicious. It does "tighten" when cooked.

Are you sure it was ham, not beef? Here in the Netherlands we have rosbief as an alternative to ham. Meets your description pretty well I think.

Well that's an interesting question about the beef, because while I asked for and certainly thought I got ham, I guess there is the possibility I got something else in the sandwich?! As much as I try, I know my French pronunciation is horrible...

artfan - most european countries have a tradition of "cured" as opposed to "cooked" ham - but it's not raw, in the sense that it has been processed.

not just jambon de pays or kerouac's delicious Vosges hame, but german Schinken from the Black Forest, Serano ham from Spain, prosciutto from Italy, etc. Mostly, the process involves some sort of air-drying and then hanging - have you ever seen pictures of the hams hanging up in a spanish restaurant?

only the UK doesn't have a tradition of these cured hams - for some reason, even ones that are smoked are then cooked.

Thanks - Yes, although definitely not a ham connoisseur, I'm familiar with prosciutto and some other cured ham, but the texture of what I had in the mystery sandwich seemed very different.

Ah, I bought my magnificent country bacon in the Vosges today, 40 euros for 2.5 kilos. The vendors gave me a huge smoked sausage as a bonus, free of charge. They know that my grandmother and my great grandparents were born and raised in their village.

bon appetit, kerouac.

how long will it last you? what will you do with it besides just slicing and eating it?

Kerouac, good news! I think chicken is now soaked in ammonia! There, isn't that better ;).

And, we will now be receiving chicken from China here in the U.S. that is probably soaked in cipro

Yum! You are really lucky.