BACON

 

BOURBON CANDIED BACON

12 thick-cut hickory- or applewood-smoked bacon slices
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or just until bacon begins to curl at ends. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and bourbon in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove bacon from oven. Brush both sides of bacon with brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375° for 42 more minutes or until bacon is crisp around edges and browned, brushing both sides of bacon with brown sugar mixture every 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Bacon will become crisp as it cools.
BACON CRACKERS

Yield: Serves 6
¾ pound (about 16 slices) thinly sliced bacon
42 Rectangular butter crackers (such as Club or Captain’s or Waverly)
Cooking Directions
Heat the oven to 250°F. Slice the bacon slices into thirds crosswise. Wrap each cracker with a piece of bacon, overlapping as little as possible. Place the wrapped crackers ½ inch apart on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Bake 1½ hours or until the bacon constricts the center of each cracker and becomes crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crackers to cool on the rack before eating.

BACON & ONION FOIL PACKET POTATOES

2 to 3 sheets of heavy-duty foil
1 packet onion soup powder
10-12 baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
12 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
1 small onion thinly sliced and diced
1 cup cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
Sour cream for serving (optional)
Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, 1 packet onion soup powder and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely. Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Or you can bake it in the oven, at 350° for about 35 minutes or till done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve in foil, topped with sour cream if desired

CANADIAN BACON
afternoon Dylan, Canadian Bacon is made from a boned loin of pork and i have made it using a multitude of different brines. You are also correct in mentioning that up here they don't smoke it they roll it in corn meal and fry it, another name for it is peameal bacon. i personally like the smoked version better. Normally i do two at a time and this is my version of the brine i like best.
120oz filter water (by volume)
1 1/2 cups course salt
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup (you can also sub dextrose)
2 T Prague Powder # 1
1 T peppercorns
3 cloves garlic
8 or 9 Juniper berries
2 Bay Leaves
Bring all to a simmer to dissolve the salts, prague powder and the heat will blend the syrup, juniper berries and peppercorns. Cool to 38 degrees and it is now ready to use. brine five days. I have also used this recipe using TQ but it is hard to get up here thats why the sub of Prague Powder and course salt. now there are many that use phosphates in their CB but it is not necessary in my opinion, merely a matter of personal choice. if you decide to add 2 T to the brine.That recipe should have been updated, add the maple syrup after the brine has been cooled that way you will retain the flavour. Speaking of that TQ amount I was asking about, I followed Reg's and Qfans formula of adding the weights of the meat and water together and multiplying by .03 and multipling that amount by 16. That gives you the total weight of the amount of TQ needed for the cure brine. I used 1.5 gallons of water and 9 pounds of loin. I woubd up with 10.3 ounces (by weight) of TQ. This amount was almost the same by weight. So my original guestimate was not that far off. I found my notes the other night and the recipe I transcribed did call for 1.25 cupa of TQ per gallon of water. I like the newer version better. As I recall, the version I had written down, was a tad bit salty for my tastes, but it was still good.

MAKING CANADIAN BACON

1 gallon of water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup Maple syrup
1/3 cup Light brown sugar
2 teaspoons tender Quick
4 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorn
1 lemon
To make the cure, combine 1 quart of water, Kosher salt, maple syrup, brown sugar, tender quick, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve salts and sugar. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Transfer to a large container and stir in remaining 3 quarts of water. Place in refrigerator until completely chilled. Slice lemon and add to the brine. Fully submerge pork loin in cure and let sit in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Remove pork from cure and place in large container. Add enough fresh water to fully submerge loin. Let sit for 30 minutes, then remove pork from water and pat dry with paper towels. Tie the loin with butcher string to firm up. Start the smoker or grill to 225 degrees, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place pork in and cook until an instant read thermometer registers 140 degrees when inserted into thickest part of the pork loin, about 2 to 3 hours. Let pork cool for 30 minutes. Slice and pan fry before serving.

HOW TO COOK PERFECT BACON EVERY TIME! COOK BACON IN THE OVEN

 I'm amazed how many people don't know this.
 The trick is to put the pan in a cold oven and then switch it on and begin your timer. Cover cookie sheet with tin foil first. Turn oven to 375 for about 20 min instead of 400 for ten because the lower and slower the more fat renders out. I hate getting SPLATTERED!! This works perfect!

BUCKBOARD BACON

Cure;
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs Tenderquick
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs maple sugar
Cut all fat from a 2 or 3 pound boneless pork tenderloin, butt, or roast. Sprinkle black pepper over the whole piece. Rub in cure over the whole piece. Place in air tight, zip-lock bag in fridge. Turn bag over every day. After 10 days, remove the meat from the fridge and rinse completely, dry, placed in another zip-lock bag and placed in the fridge overnight. Smoke the meat between 190 and 210 until the internal temperature reaches 150 Foil and rest for 30 minutes. Refrigerate or freeze. After the meat is cold, it is much easier to cut in thin strips

BACON JAM

2 lbs bacon, fried crisp, drained & chopped, reserve 2 tbs grease.
1 large sweet onion, sliced, caramelized in bacon grease.
4 cloves garlic, chopped.
3 tbs Ique dry rub, garlic and rub added to caramelized onion and cook 3 minutes.
Then add:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup whiskey (I used Pappy van Winkle 15)
1/2 maple syrup
5 tbs light brown sugar
2 tbs hot sauce
Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer until thick and sticky. Cool then pulse in food processor until reaches desired consistency

BACON JAM #2

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
500grams/1 pound smoked bacon (or use regular bacon and liquid smoke)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium brown onion sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Tabasco sauce (according to taste)
1 cup coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
Black pepper to taste
extra water
In a non stick pan, fry the bacon in batches until lightly browned and beginning to crisp. Using a pair of scissors cut into 1 inch pieces. Fry the onion and garlic in the rendered bacon fat on medium heat until translucent. After 5 minutes of cooking Transfer the bacon, onion and garlic into a heavy based cast iron pot and add the rest of the ingredients except for the water. Simmer for 2 hours adding 1/4 of a cup of water every 25-30 minutes or so and stirring. When ready, cool for about 15-20 minutes and then place in a food processor. Pulse for 2-3 seconds so that you leave some texture to the “jam” or of course you could keep whizzing and make it a smoother and more paste like.

BACON JAM #3

1 Pound of Smoked Bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 Medium Onion, Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
3 TBL Brown Sugar
1 Cup of Brewed Coffee
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
Tabasco, to Taste
Black Pepper, to Taste
Water
I used a pound of Apple Cider Cured Bacon and put it on the WSM for a couple of hours to acquire some smoke. Then cooked in a pan till just starting to crisp. Remove bacon and add onion and garlic to fat and cook till translucent. Drain fat from onions and add all ingredients except water. Simmer for two hours adding 1/4 cup of water every 30 minutes or so. Stirring occasionally. Let cool for a few minutes and then place into a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds for chunky or puree to smooth, your choice. I left this batch chunky to keep the chewiness of the bacon intact. This is good stuff. On toast, BLT's, eggs or whatever. I don't have any chocolate ice cream right now or I would let you know how that was. If anyone does make this, please report back with your thoughts and/or any changes to the recipe. Enjoy! And a Merry Christmas to All!

BACON JAM RECIPE #4

1 1/2 pound smoked bacon
1 medium sized onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
6 Tbs brown sugar
1 cup strong black coffee
3 Tbs real maple syrup
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Fry over 350* indirect heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon starts to crisp. Remove bacon and put into separate pot. *Add the onion to the bacon, and cook until the onion begins to brown and caramelize, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for two hours, stirring occasionally. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more coffee (upwards of 6 additional ounces.) After two hours, the bacon should be very tender and the liquid should be somewhat thick but not stiff (when you pulse the mixture in the food processor, the liquid will be fully incorporated). Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the bacon mixture to a food processor and pulse until the jam is somewhat smooth, but retains some texture. Store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow to come to room temperature

BACON JAM #5

3 1/2 cups of Bacon Jam:
1 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp, chopped fine
2 tsp butter
2 tsp reserved bacon fat
4 large yellow onions (about 3 pounds), diced
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp fresh picked thyme leaves, divided (1 tsp cooked in, 1/2 tsp at the end)
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne
1/2 cups water
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil