Pork

Ways With Bacon

I used to think that bacon belonged in ititswn food group because nothing rivals the smell of baking cooking (my opinion). A few years ago I went to a gathering and on the table was a beautiful array of finger foods. Placed thoughtfully throughout were glasses full of bacon, in different flavors, standing at attention. And oh, they were so good! My curiosity got the best of me so I decided to research all the possibilities of this savory, meaty snack.

Two things I've learned along the way are to always line our baking pans with foil and use thick-cut bacon. You can use a rack underneath but sometimes I choose to crumple the foil and then slightly smooth it out to elevate the bacon. Also, keep an eye on it while cooking to keep from overbaking. You want it brown and crisp but not falling apart.

Option 1 (brown sugar)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup yellow cornmeal, not self-rising

• 3-4 Tbsp brown sugar

• Black pepper, to shake on top

• 1 lb thick-sliced bacon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine the It should take 2 half-sized sheetand brown sugar. Dredge the bacon slices in the mixture, slightly shakingto remove the excess.

2. Place the bacon on the foil-lined baking sheets, leaving space between. It should take two, half sheet pans. If using racks, grease before using.

3. Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes until dark brown and crisp, checking often. Let cool about 5 minutes before moving to layers of paper towels to drain.

Option 2 (maple syrup)

Ingredients

• 1 lb thick sliced bacon

• ¼ to ½ cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bacon on a foil-lined sheet pan, making sure to keep pieces separate. Bake for 15 minutes; remove from oven; drain fat.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Brush maple syrup over bacon; flip to coat the other side. Bake, flip bacon and rotate pan after 15 minutes.

3. Continue baking until bacon looks like mahogany, about 15 more minutes. Keep a close watch during the last few minutes to keep from getting too brown. Transfer to greased racks to cool and harden.

options

You can dip bacon from the above recipes into chocolate, I prefer halfway. Let drip briefly then lay on parchment paper to harden. White chocolate would look amazing!
You can also dip plain bacon that has been baked.

tips

I love to use wine or highball glasses for displaying my bacon.
A couple slices on a dessert plate with maybe some cheese straws would brighten up a place setting or a piece or two along side a dessert.

#MapleGlazedBacon #Sugared Bacon