Pan streaky bacon is the classic British rasher — thin, streaked with fat, and crisp when you give it patience rather than a screaming blast. 5lb Unsmoked Streaky Bacon is the big unsmoked pack; 5lb Smoked Streaky Bacon is the smoked twin for a deeper breakfast. Shop both in bacon and pork.
Pan method
Start in a cold or gently warm pan — streaky likes to render slowly so the fat crisps without scorching the lean. Lay rashers in a single layer with a little gap. Cook over medium heat 3 to 6 minutes a side depending on thickness, turning once the fat looks translucent and the edges curl. Pour off excess fat halfway if the pan floods, keeping a spoonful for eggs. Soft for butties or crisp for crumbling — pull earlier or later to taste. Do not crank the heat high from the start; burnt sugar-brown patches taste bitter. Smoked packs already carry seasoning, so go easy on salt at the table. Wipe the pan between batches so old fat does not smoke the kitchen.
Air fryer, grill and oven backup
No pan: air fryer 180°C for 6 to 10 minutes, medium grill 4 to 6 minutes a side, or oven 200°C on a rack for 12 to 16 minutes. Browse bacon for streaky and back, and pork when sausages and joints are on the list too.
What to serve
Eggs, toast, and grilled tomato, or wrap around chipolatas and chicken. Leftover streaky chops into pasta, salads, and jacket potatoes. Freeze interleaved with paper so you can thaw a handful at a time.
Times above are a guide for home ovens, air fryers and pans — always trust a probe over the clock, and rest meat before you carve so the juices stay in the slice, not on the board. British packs vary a little in thickness, so start checking a few minutes early the first time you cook a new size.
Write your own fridge note the first time you cook a new pack size — home ovens and pans vary, and a two-minute early check beats dry meat. Rest on a warm plate, not a cold board, so the juices stay put when you carve or plate up.
Season boldly, keep a small gap between pieces so heat can circulate, and taste the pan juices before you add more salt — cured and smoked packs already carry seasoning.