Last week, I ambled into Sawers' delicatessen shop in College Street, Belfast, and purchased a pack of O'Doherty's Black Bacon. The packet contains six rashers and mine was "original oak smoked".
Both Kettyle and O'Doherty are prominent purveyors of bacon in County Fermanagh. Kettyle's are based in Lisnaskea and O'Doherty's have a shop in Enniskillen.
I grilled a rasher of O'Doherty's this morning. The rasher is noticably thinner in cut than Kettyle's. There is a fair amount of fat on both rashers, though more fat drips from the Kettyle bacon, as far as I recall.
I have to say - and this is a personal opinion - that I prefer the Kettyle bacon, because it is a lot thicker and has more flavour.
I paid £3.99 for O'Doherty's. The pack states "minimum 160 grams". I cannot remember the weight and price of Kettyle's, though they pack their products very well, with cardboard on the outside, I think.
Readers, if you've tried both of these brands, do let me know your feelings.
3 comments :
My noble Lord - I have eaten O' Doherty's for many years (I travel to Enniskillen for work reasons every couple of months and stock up while there). In fairness the 'original' non-smoked is (to my palate) the definitive product. Brandy cured is also worth investigating and (for the health conscious among us) the Nitrite-free version is also worth purchasing. It is, in my view, extremely important to follow the instructions on the packet viz. always pan fry rather than grill. Kettyle's bacon is a perfectly good product but I've always felt (perhaps because Kettyle's is a bigger/slicker operation and/or because the quality of O'Doherty's source pork is truly superb (allowed to roam semi-wild in herds on islands in Lough Erne etc) that O'Doherty's has the distinct edge. Their shop in Enniskillen is well worth a visit - great selection of meat.
Anon,
Thanks for that.
Clearly you are an afficionado of O'Doherty's and I can well understand that this debate is all subjective and that's why I stressed that my opinion was personal.
There's no denying that O'Doherty's pigs must be the most contented in Fermanagh!
I've been in their shop in Enniskillen, quite some time ago, because I've been visiting and staying in co Fermanagh for most of my life.
Frankly I don't know precisely where Kettyle's porkies roam, except I gather that it's somewhere in Fermanagh, doubtless also free-range.
Thanks again for your considered reply!
Tim
UPDATE: I fried the Black Bacon this morning and I'd agree that it's likely best to fry rather than grill.
I used a little vegetable oil and fried it on a high heat, till the fat crisped to an extent.
My latest conclusion is that O'Doherty's and Kettyle's are both very good, perhaps equally good; and personal preference, as ever, predominates.
Tim
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