Brown Sugar Candied Bacon
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Green Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
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The most important thing to note is to use thick-cut bacon. Regular or thin-cut slices will burn to a crisp. Extra thick-cut bacon will turn out like beef jerky and will not crisp. I like to use a full-size sheet pan lined with foil. A full-size pan will be large enough to cook all of the bacon, and the foil will make for super-easy cleanup. When baked on the rack, the bacon does not need to be turned because the heat is hitting both sides of the bacon. I use a low temperature of 325° F so the bacon does not curl when baking and the fat renders evenly. The baking time will vary slightly because not all thick-cut bacon is exactly the same thickness. Once the bacon is richly caramelized, transfer it to a sheet of parchment paper, and it will crisp as it cools.
We are enjoying candied bacon tonight as a simple pre-dinner snack, but there are so many other ways to enjoy it. It is a no-brainer for breakfast or brunch, but think outside the box and sprinkle it on salads, pile it on sandwiches, garnish deviled eggs, add it to a cheese ball, or jazz up some guacamole! I have even been known to put candied bacon on cupcakes (that's another story). The possibilities of bacon enhancement to a recipe or dish are endless. Ask yourself- what would bacon do? Happy Sunday!
Equipment needed:
Printable RecipeBrown Sugar Candied Bacon
Makes 1 dozen whole slices or 2 dozen half slices
1 pound thick-cut bacon
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Set a wire rack on top of the foil; lightly spray with baking spray and set aside.
In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the sugar, mustard, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using), breaking up any clumps with a fork. Dredge each piece of bacon on both sides in the sugar mixture until thickly coated. Arrange the bacon on the rack 1/4-inch apart and sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, or until the bacon is richly browned and crisp. (You do not need to flip the bacon as it bakes.) Transfer the bacon to a sheet of parchment. paper and cool to room temperature. Bacon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Source: Adapted from A Love Affair with Southern Cooking by Jean Anderson
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