That sounds like a lot of bacon!

It does not necessarily need to become a salt bomb. One should be aware of the saltiness of the bacon chosen, and adjust the recipe accordingly. Saltiness can always be reduced by soaking the bacon in cold water, or by choosing to use a product like pancetta, which tends to be less salty. However, to reduce the amount of pork product is also going to reduce the taste and unctuousness of the final dish. It's not supposed to be diet food. It's supposed to be good old, stick to the ribs, peasant style winter food - made with humble ingredients available. It is a shame to miss out on a tasty dish when it would be easy to adjust the seasoning level.

lori, sorry but i make plenty of unctuous peasant-like stews that have almost no salt. my conviction is that salt and sugar are the demons of the american diet. ymmv.

We shall agree to disagree on this point. My conviction is that moderation in all things is preferable to demonizing and eliminating foods. I'd also have said that portion control was the major demon of the diet, though overall fat content and unnecessary additives would be supporting malevolent entities. It's not just the miles which vary, but the quality and quantity of the fuel.