The Official Bacon Thread

[Theocrat]

Whether you like swine or not, God knew what He was doing when He created the pig. That "unclean" beast has been the source of one of the greatest culinary cuisines the world has ever known (and tasted)--bacon! Bacon is quickly becoming the most popular meat ever, and in a few generations, its recipes may even surpass those of the chicken. And who can blame it? Bacon is able to be complemented with almost any food, whereas we can have bacon cheeseburgers, bacon-wrapped smokies, or even bacon sundaes! Those sizzling, succulent strips of swine can make almost any dish taste better, and more power to it for doing so!

So, in celebration of bacon, I invite you all to post anything having to do with bacon. Recipes, menus, photos, videos, stories, convictions, or anything else about bacon is on the table (no pun intended). I'll start with this simple article on bacon from Wikipedia:

Bacon is a meat product prepared from a pig and usually cured. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon (also known as green bacon). Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, or it may be boiled or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon is typically cooked before eating. Boiled bacon is ready to eat, as is some smoked bacon, but may be cooked further before eating.

Bacon is prepared from several different cuts of meat. It is usually made from side and back cuts of pork, except in the United States, where it is almost always prepared from pork belly (typically referred to as "streaky", "fatty", or "American style" outside of the US and Canada). The side cut has more meat and less fat than the belly. Bacon may be prepared from either of two distinct back cuts: fatback, which is almost pure fat, and pork loin, which is very lean. Bacon-cured pork loin is known as back bacon.

Bacon may be eaten smoked, boiled, fried, baked, or grilled, or used as a minor ingredient to flavour dishes. Bacon is also used for barding and larding roasts, especially game, including venison and pheasant. The word is derived from the Old High German bacho, meaning "buttock", "ham" or "side of bacon", and cognate with the Old French bacon.

In continental Europe, part of the pig is not usually smoked like bacon is in the United States; it is used primarily in cubes (lardons) as a cooking ingredient, valued both as a source of fat and for its flavour. In Italy, this is called pancetta and is usually cooked in small cubes or served uncooked and thinly sliced as part of an antipasto.

Meat from other animals, such as beef, lamb, chicken, goat, or turkey, may also be cut, cured, or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon, and may even be referred to as "bacon". Such use is common in areas with significant Jewish and Muslim populations, both of which prohibit the consumption of pigs. The USDA defines bacon as "the cured belly of a swine carcass"; other cuts and characteristics must be separately qualified (e.g., "smoked pork loin bacon"). For safety, bacon may be treated to prevent trichinosis, caused by Trichinella, a parasitic roundworm which can be destroyed by heating, freezing, drying, or smoking.

Bacon is distinguished from salt pork and ham by differences in the brine (or dry packing). Bacon brine has added curing ingredients, most notably sodium nitrite, and occasionally potassium nitrate (saltpeter); sodium ascorbate or erythorbate are added to accelerate curing and stabilise colour. Flavourings such as brown sugar or maple are used for some products. Sodium polyphosphates, such as sodium triphosphate, may be added to make the produce easier to slice and to reduce spattering when the bacon is pan-fried. Today, a brine for ham, but not bacon, includes a large amount of sugar. Historically, "ham" and "bacon" referred to different cuts of meat that were brined or packed identically, often together in the same barrel.

[Suzanimal]

Oh yeah...I love Bacon.

[phill4paul]

1) Cast unclean spirits into swine.
2) Slaughter swine.
3) Butcher swine.
4) Fry or smoke swine.
5) Enjoy.

I see no down side.

[tod evans]

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty

http://www.smoking-meat.com/january-...-sausage-fatty



Hello friends and welcome to the very first newsletter of the decade! This is the January 2010 issue and I am so excited about this one since we are covering one of my most favorite smoked delicacies.. the bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty most commonly called a Bacon Explosion on the internet.

Around here we just call it a fatty and everyone knows what we are talking about.

If you have never tried eating one of these or making one then you are in for a real treat.. it is unbearably delicious.

I cannot take any credit for inventing this process.. we have been making sausage fatties for many years over at the SMF forums but wrapping it in a bacon weave takes it to that whole new level and with my instructions, you will be able to make these at home and wow your friends and family.

My seven year old calls it “heaven in your mouth” and I think you will agree;-


Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty
To begin this journey you have to have some supplies and the supply list really depends on how many fatties you are planning to make.

I highly recommend that you do at least two at a time but again, that is entirely up to you. Here is my list of supplies for two fatties:

3 lbs quality, thick sliced bacon
2 lbs regular Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
8 oz Pepper Jack cheese slices
2 jalapeno peppers
1 batch of Jeff’s naked rib rub
1 batch of Jeff’s barbecue sauce
2 gallon sizes ziploc bags
2 pieces of wax paper (I use parchment paper)



Preparation
I like to do all of my preparation before even starting to put the fatties together. Remove the seeds from the peppers and then dice them up or slice them however you like, make the rub and the sauce, etc.

If you are using onions or other veggies, you can go ahead and slice and dice those as you see fit and set them aside.

The bacon weave will require thirteen pieces of bacon per weave and if you are making two weaves, you will need twenty-six pieces total. Count out and set aside the bacon you will need for the weaves and fry the rest up real nice and crispy. Place it on a paper towel to absorb some of the grease and set aside.

Hit the link for pictures and detailed 'structions...

[BuddyRey]

The best thing I've ever tasted in my life was hickory-smoked bacon off a charcoal grill. Can't wait to have it again this grilling season!

[Suzanimal]

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty

[phill4paul]

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty

http://www.smoking-meat.com/january-...-sausage-fatty



Hello friends and welcome to the very first newsletter of the decade! This is the January 2010 issue and I am so excited about this one since we are covering one of my most favorite smoked delicacies.. the bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty most commonly called a Bacon Explosion on the internet.

Around here we just call it a fatty and everyone knows what we are talking about.

If you have never tried eating one of these or making one then you are in for a real treat.. it is unbearably delicious.

I cannot take any credit for inventing this process.. we have been making sausage fatties for many years over at the SMF forums but wrapping it in a bacon weave takes it to that whole new level and with my instructions, you will be able to make these at home and wow your friends and family.

My seven year old calls it “heaven in your mouth” and I think you will agree;-


Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty
To begin this journey you have to have some supplies and the supply list really depends on how many fatties you are planning to make.

I highly recommend that you do at least two at a time but again, that is entirely up to you. Here is my list of supplies for two fatties:

3 lbs quality, thick sliced bacon
2 lbs regular Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
8 oz Pepper Jack cheese slices
2 jalapeno peppers
1 batch of Jeff’s naked rib rub
1 batch of Jeff’s barbecue sauce
2 gallon sizes ziploc bags
2 pieces of wax paper (I use parchment paper)



Preparation
I like to do all of my preparation before even starting to put the fatties together. Remove the seeds from the peppers and then dice them up or slice them however you like, make the rub and the sauce, etc.

If you are using onions or other veggies, you can go ahead and slice and dice those as you see fit and set them aside.

The bacon weave will require thirteen pieces of bacon per weave and if you are making two weaves, you will need twenty-six pieces total. Count out and set aside the bacon you will need for the weaves and fry the rest up real nice and crispy. Place it on a paper towel to absorb some of the grease and set aside.

Hit the link for pictures and detailed 'structions...

That looks sooooooo damn good.

[Suzanimal]

I had these at Christmas, they were amazing.

Armadillo Eggs (stuffed jalapenos)

http://www.food.com/recipe/armadillo...alapenos-78708

[Theocrat]

That looks sooooooo damn good.

I definitely have to agree with you on that.

[tod evans]

Bacon Infused Vodka



For to long bacon has been shackled to the confines of solid food. Anguish and despair has befallen all who wish to enjoy their tasty tasty bacon past its known limitations.

Rejoice my fellow bacon lovers, for now with the infusion of vodka you can enjoy an amazing bacon flavored Bloody Mary...bacon and chocolate martini....bacon and maple syrup martini...or just by itself on ice with all of its wonder.

It is true, there are bacon infused vodkas out there in the market, but the main fault of these products is the taste and feel of grease and oil that come with them.

This instructable will show you how to infuse vodka with bacon but also remove the oil so all your left with is just the salty and smokey flavor of yummy yummy bacon.

This is my first instructable and I'm shooting for the Bacon contest....so if you like it, please vote!

Thanks


BACON - 12 strips should be enough to flavor your vodka, but if you are like me...you may need more as not all of the bacon will survive to make it into the project

VODKA - 1 liter should suffice - and with all cooking...the quality of the ingredients will effect the final product. I'm not saying you need to go crazy at the liquor store, but I wouldn't recommend anything that comes in a plastic bottle

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to the crispiness of their bacon.

For the infusion I used bacon that was cooked to where it was still flexible and wouldn't crumble.

Just place all of the bacon in the container with the vodka, close lid and let sit for 4-5 days at room temperature (infusions work better at room temperature and the alcohol will keep you safe)

After the vodka has had time to soak up all of the bacon flavor, its time to remove the bacon.

I used a mesh colander to catch the bacon and the larger pieces of grease, but you could just remove the bacon by hand.

Next put the vodka in the freezer. This will cause the oils to solidify which will make them easier to remove.

After the oils have solidified, you'll want to strain the vodka through a coffee filter to remove the oils. The oils will clog the filter, so I'd do small amounts at a time and change the filter when the vodka stops dripping through.

Take the filtered vodka and put it back in the freezer and repeat this step. The more times you repeat this step, the less oily the final product will be. I filtered three times.

Once you satisfied with the filtered vodka, its time to enjoy the fruits (or meats) of your labor. Here are some recommended drinks to use your bacon vodka with:

Chocolate Bacon Martini:
2 oz of Bacon Vodka
3/4 oz of Godiva Chocolate Liquor
Splash of Half & Half
Shake all with ice and strain into a martini glass

Bacon Bloody:
2 oz of Bacon Vodka and your favorite Bloody Mary mix. If you normally like your Bloodies spicy...I'd lay off the spice this time because the bacon is the star of this show

And then there is just the bacon vodka chilled by itself...but the possibilities are endless

Enjoy!

More pic at the link!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Baco...Vodka-1/#step2

[Suzanimal]

Bacon Infused Vodka

FFS, someone help me out here, this is pure genius.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to tod evans again.

[Theocrat]

Bacon Infused Vodka



For to long bacon has been shackled to the confines of solid food. Anguish and despair has befallen all who wish to enjoy their tasty tasty bacon past its known limitations.

Rejoice my fellow bacon lovers, for now with the infusion of vodka you can enjoy an amazing bacon flavored Bloody Mary...bacon and chocolate martini....bacon and maple syrup martini...or just by itself on ice with all of its wonder.

It is true, there are bacon infused vodkas out there in the market, but the main fault of these products is the taste and feel of grease and oil that come with them.

This instructable will show you how to infuse vodka with bacon but also remove the oil so all your left with is just the salty and smokey flavor of yummy yummy bacon.

This is my first instructable and I'm shooting for the Bacon contest....so if you like it, please vote!

Thanks


BACON - 12 strips should be enough to flavor your vodka, but if you are like me...you may need more as not all of the bacon will survive to make it into the project

VODKA - 1 liter should suffice - and with all cooking...the quality of the ingredients will effect the final product. I'm not saying you need to go crazy at the liquor store, but I wouldn't recommend anything that comes in a plastic bottle

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to the crispiness of their bacon.

For the infusion I used bacon that was cooked to where it was still flexible and wouldn't crumble.

Just place all of the bacon in the container with the vodka, close lid and let sit for 4-5 days at room temperature (infusions work better at room temperature and the alcohol will keep you safe)

After the vodka has had time to soak up all of the bacon flavor, its time to remove the bacon.

I used a mesh colander to catch the bacon and the larger pieces of grease, but you could just remove the bacon by hand.

Next put the vodka in the freezer. This will cause the oils to solidify which will make them easier to remove.

After the oils have solidified, you'll want to strain the vodka through a coffee filter to remove the oils. The oils will clog the filter, so I'd do small amounts at a time and change the filter when the vodka stops dripping through.

Take the filtered vodka and put it back in the freezer and repeat this step. The more times you repeat this step, the less oily the final product will be. I filtered three times.

Once you satisfied with the filtered vodka, its time to enjoy the fruits (or meats) of your labor. Here are some recommended drinks to use your bacon vodka with:

Chocolate Bacon Martini:
2 oz of Bacon Vodka
3/4 oz of Godiva Chocolate Liquor
Splash of Half & Half
Shake all with ice and strain into a martini glass

Bacon Bloody:
2 oz of Bacon Vodka and your favorite Bloody Mary mix. If you normally like your Bloodies spicy...I'd lay off the spice this time because the bacon is the star of this show

And then there is just the bacon vodka chilled by itself...but the possibilities are endless

Enjoy!

More pic at the link!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Baco...Vodka-1/#step2

I'd be willing to try the bacon-flavored Bloody Mary, but I'm not so sure about the bacon-infused vodka (I'm not a big fan of vodka, anyway)...

[phill4paul]

FFS, someone help me out here, this is pure genius.

Already burned it on the Fatty McStuffed Sausage Bacon Wrap thingy....

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to tod evans again.

[tod evans]

One more;

Bacon Weave Pizza
http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-pizza/





Ever since I made my mac and cheese pie that had a crust made completely out of bacon I’ve been telling myself that I need to incorporate the bacon weave into another dish. Well, I finally did it with this pizza! Yep, I didn’t use a single ounce of dough for the crust in this pizza. What I did use however was an entire pound of delicious applewood-smoked bacon!

I started off by weaving my bacon together and cooking it in the oven at 400°. After ten minutes I took it out and topped it with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, green onions, Italian sausage and pepperoni before putting it back in the oven for another ten minutes to complete the cooking process.

Seriously, if you think bacon is good as a pizza topping then you need to try a pizza where the entire crust is made out of bacon. It’s unbelievable how amazing it tastes! Imagine a world where you could go to your favorite pizza place, order a pie and instead of having to choose between only thick and thin crust you’d have bacon crust as an option as well. Oh what a glorious world that would be!

[phill4paul]

One more;

Bacon Weave Pizza
http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-pizza/





Ever since I made my mac and cheese pie that had a crust made completely out of bacon I’ve been telling myself that I need to incorporate the bacon weave into another dish. Well, I finally did it with this pizza! Yep, I didn’t use a single ounce of dough for the crust in this pizza. What I did use however was an entire pound of delicious applewood-smoked bacon!

I started off by weaving my bacon together and cooking it in the oven at 400°. After ten minutes I took it out and topped it with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, green onions, Italian sausage and pepperoni before putting it back in the oven for another ten minutes to complete the cooking process.

Seriously, if you think bacon is good as a pizza topping then you need to try a pizza where the entire crust is made out of bacon. It’s unbelievable how amazing it tastes! Imagine a world where you could go to your favorite pizza place, order a pie and instead of having to choose between only thick and thin crust you’d have bacon crust as an option as well. Oh what a glorious world that would be!

Bacon crust. BACON CRUST! Smacks forehead. Why didn't I think of this?

[phill4paul]

http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-taco/

I know that tacos with shells made out of bacon have been done before, but none of the ones I’ve seen looked very appetizing to me. It seems like people sort of took the easy way out when making them and just tossed their bacon over a metal object, made sure the strips overlapped a little so they’d stick together and either baked or deep fried it like that so their shells just end up looking like squares of bacon that had been folded in half. Long story short, most of the bacon taco shells out there just don’t look very taco-shaped.

For my bacon taco shell I started off the same way I did when I made my Bacon Weave Quesdailla, by creating a square bacon weave, cooking it in my oven at 400° for about 15 minutes and then placing an upside down bowl over it and tracing around it with a knife until I was left with a circular bacon weave. After that I hung it over a couple kabob sticks that were balanced across empty beer bottles and left it like that for a few minutes so it would keep its shape. I’m sure that there was probably something better I could have draped it over, but you’ve gotta make do with what you’ve got right?

Since I wasn’t quite sure if beer bottles were safe to put in the oven I swapped them out for a couple pint glasses, put them on a baking sheet, hung my bacon weave taco shell between them and slid it back into my oven for another ten minutes so it could finish cooking.

Granted, I’m sure the beer bottles would have been fine, but I didn’t know if the labels would burn or if the glue that holds them to the bottle is toxic. Then again, when you’re eating stuff like this on a regular basis a little bit of toxic glue should probably be the least of your worries….

In the end my Bacon Weave Taco ended up looking — and tasting — way better than I ever could have imagined. Once it was done baking I filled it to the brim with seasoned ground beef, sour cream, lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese and took a bite. It was completely amazing, and aside from that the shell actually looked exactly like a real taco shell!

[Theocrat]

One more;

Bacon Weave Pizza
http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-pizza/





Ever since I made my mac and cheese pie that had a crust made completely out of bacon I’ve been telling myself that I need to incorporate the bacon weave into another dish. Well, I finally did it with this pizza! Yep, I didn’t use a single ounce of dough for the crust in this pizza. What I did use however was an entire pound of delicious applewood-smoked bacon!

I started off by weaving my bacon together and cooking it in the oven at 400°. After ten minutes I took it out and topped it with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, green onions, Italian sausage and pepperoni before putting it back in the oven for another ten minutes to complete the cooking process.

Seriously, if you think bacon is good as a pizza topping then you need to try a pizza where the entire crust is made out of bacon. It’s unbelievable how amazing it tastes! Imagine a world where you could go to your favorite pizza place, order a pie and instead of having to choose between only thick and thin crust you’d have bacon crust as an option as well. Oh what a glorious world that would be!

That's one of the most beautiful creations I've ever seen. <Tears pouring down cheeks>

[Suzanimal]

That's one of the most beautiful creations I've ever seen. <Tears pouring down cheeks>

Pass the Kleenex.

[phill4paul]

I had these at Christmas, they were amazing.

Armadillo Eggs (stuffed jalapenos)

http://www.food.com/recipe/armadillo...alapenos-78708

I make these for "bring a dish" gatherings. It's the only dish I make that the plate is empty when I leave.

[heavenlyboy34]

This thread is full of so much win!

[The Rebel Poet]

I'd like to know when bacon became a religion.

[heavenlyboy34]

@OP-it would be good to have a porkchop thread, too. Shake n' Bake and BBQ are my current fave ways of making them.

[Acala]

One more;

Bacon Weave Pizza
http://dudefoods.com/bacon-weave-pizza/





Ever since I made my mac and cheese pie that had a crust made completely out of bacon I’ve been telling myself that I need to incorporate the bacon weave into another dish. Well, I finally did it with this pizza! Yep, I didn’t use a single ounce of dough for the crust in this pizza. What I did use however was an entire pound of delicious applewood-smoked bacon!

I started off by weaving my bacon together and cooking it in the oven at 400°. After ten minutes I took it out and topped it with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, green onions, Italian sausage and pepperoni before putting it back in the oven for another ten minutes to complete the cooking process.

Seriously, if you think bacon is good as a pizza topping then you need to try a pizza where the entire crust is made out of bacon. It’s unbelievable how amazing it tastes! Imagine a world where you could go to your favorite pizza place, order a pie and instead of having to choose between only thick and thin crust you’d have bacon crust as an option as well. Oh what a glorious world that would be!

This is genius.

[Theocrat]

@OP-it would be good to have a porkchop thread, too. Shake n' Bake and BBQ are my current fave ways of making them.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops!

[evilfunnystuff]

I'd like to know when bacon became a religion.

probly the 90's lol

[Suzanimal]

Pearl Cantrell is my hero.

105-Year-Old Says Bacon is the Secret to a Long Life



When we think of a 105-year-old frail woman named Pearl, we don’t necessarily think of chowing down on bacon. But that’s exactly what the Texas woman credits for her longevity.

Pearl Cantrell was recently asked by KRBC what the secret to her long life is and she revealed it’s the crispy, sizzling delight that has kept her around for this long.

“I love bacon, I eat it everyday,” she said. “I don’t feel as old as I am.”

The mother of seven still has a lot of life left in her. For her 105th birthday, Cantrell partied with 200 guests for three whole days. And yes, she still dances.

Watch the video above to see how Cantrell’s claim might have some credibility to it, after all. Not that we would ever try to refute an excuse to eat more bacon.

http://firsttoknow.com/105-year-old-...e=facebookpage

Her name (Pearl) reminded me of this...

[tod evans]

Go Pearl!

[VIDEODROME]

[squarepusher]

[Suzanimal]

The UNOFFICIAL Bacon thread. Good stuff for anyone who missed it.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...53-Bacon/page2