Mystery of Bacon

Think about it....it's a cold morning.  You wake from a good night sleep because something has alerted your ears and tickled your nostrils.  It's the smells and sounds of bacon cooking.  You make your way to the kitchen where a hot beverage in a mug is waiting, and a plate of crispy, crunchy bacon is cooling.  Does it get any better?

Bacon is one of those dishes that when you serve it, people gather around.  Some like it chewy, some like it crispy, some like it pepper crusted, and some like it with hints of sweet, maple syrup.  Anytime we have a gathering of people for a sleepover, we always make sure that there is plenty of bacon in the house.  Often I will even cook up some bacon on the weekends, and store it in a plastic bag in the fridge.  It can be used in sauces, roasts, pasta, and salad.  It saves time, and when you warm it up by zapping  it in the microwave it's done in an instant.

My grandfather would make "Cracklings", which were the bits of bacon rind that were left over from a side of freshly butchered bacon.  He would deep fry these pork rind bits until they were puffed and crackling in your mouth.  They were deep fried,  rich goodness that had an aroma that filled the house and brought everyone into the kitchen.  It's a wonder we all didn't have heart attacks on the spot!  I haven't had them since he passed away, but oh how I remember them.

I have always cooked bacon in a skillet on top of the stove, just like my grandfather and mom.  You didn't fool around with bacon grease.  My Dad was seriously burned by grease on the stove, so there was a very strong respect for the cooking process, and no fooling around.  I even tried cooking it  in the microwave with the special bacon tray to try and eliminate the spattering and popping of the grease. 

Then one day I read how you could "bake" bacon on a cooking rack over a baking sheet.  It would reduce spatters, free up the cook top of your stove, and reduce the shrinkage of the bacon.  "Shrinkage-NEVER a good thing!"  So I tried it...400 degree oven, bacon on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 20 min.  PERFECT!  Crispy bacon, drained fat, clean cook top.  I was amazed!!!  It is the perfect way to cook a pound of bacon and have it perfect every time.  You can adjust your time to fit the way you like your bacon.  A little less time for chewy bacon, slightly more for crunchier.  The smoke alarm didn't even go off.  If you want to make the bacon wavy, and fancy, you just push it up, accordion style on the rack and it bakes perfectly.

There are new products all over that incorporate the flavor of bacon.  Bacon on top of macaroni and cheese,  bacon flavored popcorn, bacon crispies on top of maple iced donuts, bacon flavored salt, and even bacon flavored vodka!  (Hubby really wants to try THAT one!  I wonder what mimosas would taste like with that)?!

Go on....try it!   If you want to take serving bacon to a new level at your next brunch or breakfast, make this caramelized, candy bacon.  It's a salty, sweet fix that is guaranteed to make people come running to the kitchen.

Caramelized Bacon
1 lb of bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Separate bacon into strips.  Using a teaspoon, coat bacon with brown sugar. 
 Twist strips and lay on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet.
Bake at 350  for  15 minutes.
They are best served immediately.

Weekly Menu
Sunday
Lasagna
Green Beans

Monday
Beef Barley Soup***
Garlic bread

Tuesday
Chili
Cornbread

Wednesday
Pasta with Alfredo and bacon (Weight Watcher friendly: Believe it or not!)***

Thursday
Going to NYC  (Boys are on their own!)

Friday
Date Night w hubby