Decorative aside: Is it wrong to use bacon as an air freshner? The final two selections were airlifted to me courtesy of the Greatful Palate, and they were freezer packed in this curiously aromatic bubble wrap that smelled like smokey pepper.

And I am not sure when, exactly, I had the idea to do a pig pinyata. Maybe when someone mentioned that the party also fell on Mexican Independance day. Like I mentioned elsewhere, I had a lot of fun overpronouncing pinyata ala Peggy Hill.

Number of Guests at all of my previous parties: 17
Number of Guests at the Bacon Tasting: 20!!!!

First, a recipe.

Filling the pinyata with bacon itself presented some epidemiological issues. And what is a pinyata without candy. Then it hit me. BACON CANDY!

Oh, oh, oh. Like you never thought of it? Likw you've never sprinkled sugar on bacon? Or taken a sip of a milkshake with a bacon cheeseburger in your mouth for that matter? The sweet and the savory here simply go too well together.

I've seen recipes for bacon toffee before, but I think the added fat would just make the final product too greasy. I opted instead for a simple bacon brittle.

BACON BRITTLE

There are two ingredients in bacon brittle:

bacon
sugar

Cook the bacon. About six or seven strips. Dry the bacon really well, and chop it up. Place on a cookie sheet and set aside.

To make the stuff, melt about 1.5 cups of sugar over very low heat in a heavy bottomed sautee pan. Do not turn the heat up do not panic. As the melts at the bottom, slowly stir a little bit. It's okay if the mixure crystallizes because there is no water present... just keep heating and stirring until it all melts.

Pour the molten sugar over the bacon. If debauchery has an odor, it's something like this.

Spread the mixture out with a spatula until it is a very thin layer. Allow to cool, then break into sinful little pieces.

Fill the pinyata and let your friends' kid whack at it.

OKAY, the BACON.

Benton Bacon
The Crowd Favorite. From TN. Thickly sliced, succulent and very juicy.

Tripp County Bacon
This stuf was STRONG. Brown sugar cured and very intense. I thought it was a bit too spicy, though.

Bluegrass Farms
This is a good local supermarket bacon. It has just the right mix of fat/lean, is sweet but not cloying, and melts really well. A good, mild, bacon for all seasons. Harmless.

Morningstar Farms.
Now I realize that some of us are forced to lead baconless lives, and, indeed, some of my best friends... bla bla bla. But this stuff just tasted like wet hipster.

I never got around to serving the two bacons I brougt back from Vermont this summer. One was an uncured varietal which just tasted to hammy, the other was peppery and delicous.

Okay. I promise not to write about bacon for another couple of posts. really.

Posted by Jeff at 2:24AM AM:: Permalink :: (Comments Closed)

Comments:

Cat Wrote:
In other news, bacon gives you bowel cancer. http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/23812 I take Fark's stance, "Experts call for bacon to be banned to prevent cancer. Bacon. Cold dead fingers. Bring it, Poindexters."
...................

<-----Earlier
Later ----->