Allumettes Fumées

Allumettes Fumées are a cooking cut, not a snack: thin smoked strips of pork or bacon-style meat meant to go into soups, salads, omelettes, and dishes that need a little smoke and salt. By our assessment, the attraction is practical rather than flashy, because the pieces are already cut small and bring flavor fast. The limit is just as practical: they can dry out or turn salty if the cook is heavy-handed, and they are not meant to stand alone as a main dish. In the pan they move fast, which suits quick weekday cooking better than slow, careful meals. This sits in the charcuterie-à-cuire world rather than the deli counter, and it is more of an ingredient than a finished product. The catalogue numbers are only part of the name, and the real point is the chopped, smoked format.