Bacon...

I have noticed that many of us include Bacon when discussing beer, food, menus, restaurants, etc.

I felt Bacon deserves its own thread.
I have of course, eaten lots of bacon in my time but as I get older and learn more Ifind there are many kinds of bacon and bacon products which I have yet to sample.
I have had the majority of general store bought bacons and I have been fortunate enough to have home cured bacons. I have had jowl bacon, cottage bacon, collar and hock bacons. One of my favorites is called side pork, which is bacon with the skin or rind still on it.

I don't like my bacon cooked completely crispy unless it is to be used in another preparation for like soups, stews or chowders.

I will think of more bacon talk later.

We need a Bacon Icon/Smiley

Bacon -- it's what's for dinner! Actually, every meal is better with bacon. Good idea on the thread starter.

I cure and smoke my own belly, cheek/jowl, and buckboard bacons. Great stuff! And fun to play with flavors and spices for variety.

On my bucket list is something I saw on the travel or food channel: breaded, deep fried bacon smothered in country gravy. Can't get any better to eat or any worse for your arteries! I think it was in Louisiana or thereabouts.

I cook mine chewy but not crispy. The only time I do it crispy is when I have really thin cut bacon, and even then I only use it so I can make it into bacon crumbles for sprinkling on stuff.

I always thought this was funny: http://hahafunnylol.com/post/53588992714/i-didnt-ask-if-you-were-a-vegetarian-i-asked-if#.UhfklNKsiSo

I like to cut it up, mix it up with ground pork and homebrewed porter and grill up some burgers.

I wish I had a cold smoker to smoke Bacon and some beer grains at the same time

One of the local pubs has breaded deep fried bacon, really good.

I felt my arteries get harder just reading about breaded deep fried bacon.

BikerBrewer said:

One of the local pubs has breaded deep fried bacon, really good.

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I want to try this!

Wow, 115 views and only 6 replies. I really thought Bacon would be a bit more popular.

Well, I had Bacon wrapped fresh caught Trout this weekend with scalloped potatoes, the potatoes were from our garden.

An ABT just aint right without BACON!

Subsailor said:

Wow, 115 views and only 6 replies. I really thought Bacon would be a bit more popular.

Well, I had Bacon wrapped fresh caught Trout this weekend with scalloped potatoes, the potatoes were from our garden.

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That's because everyone viewed it then immediately had to run out and buy bacon instead of replying.

Bacon wrapped trout sounds good.
Bacon makes everything better.
http://youtu.be/o_44GYm-TYM

Has anyone here made pig candy? I haven't yet but it is going to happen before to long.

Aren't all pork products considered candy of the gods???

Did you see one of the Basic Brewing Videos from the NHC Club night a dude had bacon beer.

He put like 3 cups of hot bacon grease in the mash water or Wort or some thing. They let it cool and skim it out before pitching it.

Once it was done they claim to have had "3 pounds of bacon in the keg" they were serving from. Not sure how they managed that because it had a good head on it. With all that oil I couldn't imagine it was exactly as they were portraying it.

>: /

I bought a pork belly from the local butcher. Used it to make pancetta and I'll be doing that again. Very simple.

Next project is guanciale using pork cheeks. I wish I had a good cold smoker to do traditional bacon.

Also, for anyone who likes bacon (and who doesn't ?) there are some recipes for duck prosciutto that are great as well. I'm doing another batch of this next weekend.

Rhumbline said:

I wish I had a good cold smoker to do traditional bacon.

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Do you have a hot smoker? A BBQ? A cardboard box? Then you have the beginnings of a cold smoker. Easiest and cheapest way to cold smoke is get a coffee can and a brand new soldering iron (unsullied by solder, etc.). Punch a hole in the side of the coffee can base big enough to insert the tip of the iron. Cover the iron tip with the sawdust of your choice (hardwoods or fruitwoods only, please) and plug in the iron. Once the dust is smoldering, unplug the iron and add more sawdust as needed. If it goes out, plug the iron back in. You can also do this with a portable electric burner and a pie plate. If you want to get really fancy, order an Amaz-in smoker for a nearly no fuss process.

A good friend owns two commercial smoke houses, they make all of their own cold cuts, specialty hams and the most amazing bacon I've ever had!
It isn't salt cured (if it is, you cannot taste any salt) it is smoked, it is flat out incredible, he knows that I like it, so every time I go visit him, he makes sure that I leave with several pounds of thick cut bacon...WOW!!!!
I like mine cooked but not crispy. I use it for cooking in various soups and dishes, BLT (with fresh maters from my garden), and so on.
Damn...I just made myself hungry....lol

I need to make friends with someone who makes bacon for a living.

Bacon...it also fuels the whole 24-Hours-of-LeMons racing extravaganza...erm, spectacle...well, lets just call it group insanity with costumes, race cars and evening beer bashes followed by morning consumption sometimes hundreds of pounds of custom cured bacon cooked by a guy wearing superman underoos and a cape.

I just discovered Chocolate Dipped Bacon at our State Fair! Crispy Baon on a stick dipped in Chocolate!!!!

Sad News: I also just learned I missed the 1st Annual Bacon and Beer Festival in Anchorage 3 weeks ago when my wife had her knee surgery!

I need to make more bacon, it's been a while and now as usual this forum WILL persuade me to pursue the things that i love, i need some good pork!
Picked up another shoulder may turn into sausage but thats another subject.
I'm hungry!

Subsailor said:

I just discovered Chocolate Dipped Bacon at our State Fair! Crispy Baon on a stick dipped in Chocolate!!!!

Sad News: I also just learned I missed the 1st Annual Bacon and Beer Festival in Anchorage 3 weeks ago when my wife had her knee surgery!

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Try making candied bacon using a porter or stout. Baste & turn in the oven until crisp. You won't be disappointed!

govner1 said:

Try making candied bacon using a porter or stout. Baste & turn in the oven until crisp. You won't be disappointed!

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Good call! Probably something with a high FG would be best...

I've had candied bacon done using maple syrup and brown sugar and it was delicious.

adiochiro3 said:

Do you have a hot smoker? A BBQ? A cardboard box? Then you have the beginnings of a cold smoker. Easiest and cheapest way to cold smoke is get a coffee can and a brand new soldering iron (unsullied by solder, etc.). Punch a hole in the side of the coffee can base big enough to insert the tip of the iron. Cover the iron tip with the sawdust of your choice (hardwoods or fruitwoods only, please) and plug in the iron. Once the dust is smoldering, unplug the iron and add more sawdust as needed. If it goes out, plug the iron back in. You can also do this with a portable electric burner and a pie plate. If you want to get really fancy, order an Amaz-in smoker for a nearly no fuss process.

Click to expand...

I do this ALL the time with my smoker (except I use a soup can, a 90 degree elbow, regular smoking chips and keep the soldering iron plugged in all the time.) I can do about 4-6 hours of smoking with 2 hands-full of chips. It's about as easy as it gets

BGBC said:

Good call! Probably something with a high FG would be best...

I've had candied bacon done using maple syrup and brown sugar and it was delicious.

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Oops! Left out dissolving brown sugar on the beer.

Mmmm my favorite food group. Whenever swmbo cooks bacon I will eat it right out of the skillet. Funny it doesnt even burn. I love donuts with bacon on top covered with cheddar cheese.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5yITbJGUf4

all I can say is...

Yeah buddy!

I'm going to look into making a field expedient smoker.

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=video

July 8 episode NHC club night

Fast forward to 9min 9sec.

Glen Ridge home brewers?

Dude has crazy eyes.