Recipes

Candied Bacon

Candied Bacon

Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 12 slices

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Arrange a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  • Add the bacon slices and toss to coat.
  • Place the sugar-coated bacon slices on wire rack and bake, flipping once, until the bacon is crisp and the sugar is caramelized, 25-30 minutes.
  • Leave on the baking rack to cool.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork

Bacon Cheese Puffs

Bacon Cheese Puffs

These buttery, airy spheres of perfection will go so fast you will have to fight to sample the fruits of your labor. They are super simple to make and many of the ingredients are common staples, so you may find yourself making them quite often. Comté cheese is a rich, nutty cave aged French cheese. You can also substitute Parmesan or sharp Cheddar.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes about 24 cheese puffs

  • ¼ cup ½ stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup shredded Comté cheese divided (about 3 ounces)
  • â…“ cup cooked and crumbled peppered bacon (about 4 slices)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs such as chives, thyme, and/or marjoram

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt.
  • Heat the pan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the water just begins to boil.
  • Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together in a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes.
  • Test the dough by giving the pan a few good shakes.
  • If the ball stays together, it is done.
  • Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer.
  • Cool for 5 minutes.
  • Beat the dough at low speed with the paddle attachment, while adding the eggs, one at a time.
  • Make sure the first egg is fully incorporated before adding the second.
  • The finished dough should be smooth and shiny.
  • Stir in ½ cup of the shredded cheese, the bacon and herbs.
  • Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch wide, plain tip.
  • Pipe the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet in 1 inch mounds about 2 inches apart.
  • Use the back of a spoon dipped in water to pat down any pointed tips.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese puffs are a deep, golden brown color.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve warm.
Over the top bacon lover’s tip:
Brush mounds of dough with a little melted Clarified Bacon Fat  before sprinkling with remaining cheese and baking.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork

Baked Potato Skins

Baked Potato Skins

For best results, bake the potatoes in the oven. If you cheat and use the microwave, the skins don’t seem to come out as crisp. Serve these as a side dish to grilled steak or barbecued chicken.
Couverts8
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Wash and dry the potatoes, and pierce the skins all over with a fork.
  • Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack until they are tender and the skins are crisp, about 1 hour.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, ranch dressing mix, crumbled bacon, and 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese.
  • Remove the cooked potatoes from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
  • While the potatoes are still hot, cut them in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving the skins intact.
  • We like to cut them crosswise so they form nice serving cups.
  • Add the hot potato flesh to the sour cream mixture and blend with a potato masher or electric mixer until evenly combined.
  • Spoon the sour cream and potato mixture back into the potato skins and arrange the potato halves on a baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle the tops with the remaining Cheddar cheese.
  • Bake the potato skins until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes.
  • Garnish with chives and serve hot.

Notes & Wine Advice

Over the top bacon lover’s tip:
Before putting the potatoes in the oven, rub the skins with a little Clarified Bacon Fat
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

We all could use a really hot date now and then, right? Make these ahead of time and pop them in the oven when your guests arrive. Medjool dates are particularly large, moist and meaty. The vinegar and orange juice adds a tangy balance to the sweet and salty flavors.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 20 dates

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • With a paring knife, make a slit in the center of each date.
  • Carefully stuff each date with 1 teaspoon of blue cheese crumbles and wrap with bacon, securing the ends with a toothpick.
  • Place the wrapped dates on the prepared tray and bake for 5 minutes.
  • Flip the dates and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the blue cheese begins to ooze.
  • While dates are baking, combine the vinegar, orange zest, and orange juice in a small saucepan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer until the mixture has reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes.
  • Strain the glaze through a fine-mesh strainer.
  • Remove the toothpicks from the dates, arrange them on a serving platter and drizzle with glaze.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve warm.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Fruit / Pork

Clams Casino

Clams Casino

No good cocktail or patio party of the 50’s would have been complete without a piping hot tray of Clams Casino. We think it is a tradition that should be revived, and improved upon. Use only fresh, live clams.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 24 clams

Instructions

  • Cover a baking sheet with a thick, even layer of rock salt or kosher salt.
  • Shuck the clams, wearing a shucking glove for safety.
  • Hold a clam securely while you insert a shucking knife between the shells.
  • Pry the shells apart, and sever the adductor muscle connecting the shells.
  • Discard the top shell.
  • Loosen the clam meat and the muscle in the lower shell.
  • Nestle the shucked clams in the prepared salt tray.
  • Cover and refrigerate the shucked clams while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Cook the bacon until it is crisp, about 8 minutes.
  • Transfer to paper towels, reserving rendered bacon fat in the skillet.
  • Cook the bell pepper, shallot, garlic, and oregano in the remaining bacon fat until the shallots are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the wine and the lemon juice and simmer until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool slightly.
  • Stir the reserved bacon, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, and the lemon zest into the cooled vegetable mixture.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Preheat the oven to 500°F.
  • Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the bacon and vegetable mixture onto each clam, mounding the topping slightly.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake until the clams are cooked through and the topping is golden, about 10 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve immediately.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork

Bacon Manhattan

Bacon Manhattan

Bacon infused bourbon adds a gentle, savory perfume to this classic cocktail.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 1 cocktail

  • 2-3 dashes bitters
  • 1½ ounces Bacon-Infused Bourbon recipe follows
  • ½ ounce dry vermouth
  • ¼ ounce sweet vermouth
  • 1 maraschino cherry or
  • 1 brandied cherry
  • 1 twist of orange rind
  • 1 strip of crisp cooked bacon or Candied Bacon (page 154) for garnish

Instructions

  • Swirl 2-3 dashes of bitters in a chilled martini glass.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice cubes and add the bourbon and vermouths.
  • Shake vigorously.
  • Strain the cocktail into the prepared martini glass and garnish with the cherry, orange rind, and bacon.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve immediately.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Cocktails / Pork

Bacon-Infused Bourbon

Bacon-Infused Bourbon

This technique can be used to add a scent of bacon to many different liquids or liquors.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 12 ounces of infused bourbon

  • 12 ounces bourbon
  • 2 ounces clarified bacon fat melted

Instructions

  • Combine the bourbon and bacon fat in a quart-size Mason jar.
  • Seal with a tightly fitting lid and shake vigorously.
  • Leave the bourbon to infuse at room temperature for 5-8 hours.
  • Put the jar in the freezer and freeze until all of the bacon fat has solidified at the surface of the bourbon, about 1 hour.
  • Scoop off and discard the bacon fat and strain the bourbon through a fine mesh sieve lined with 2 coffee filters.
  • Store the bacon-infused bourbon at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork

Bucatini All’amatriciana

Bucatini All’amatriciana

Bucatini is a long pasta with a very thin hole in the center, so it is kind of like chewy spaghetti tubes. Sauce amatriciana is one of the oldest Italian tomato sauces. It is traditionally made with guanciale, or smoked pork cheek, but bacon has become a more common ingredient. Serve the pasta with plenty of shredded Pecorino-Romano cheese, a loaf of crusty bread, and a good bottle of red wine.
Couverts4
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the bacon and cook until it is just beginning to crisp, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is transparent, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the wine and simmer to reduce, about 2 minutes longer.
  • Add the tomatoes and vinegar.
  • Crush the tomatoes with a spoon as they soften.
  • Simmer until the sauce comes together, about 10 minutes.
  • Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
  • Keep sauce warm over low heat while you cook the pasta.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Cook the pasta al dente, following the packaging cooking instructions.
  • Drain well, reserving ¼ cup of pasta cooking water.
  • Add the pasta and reserved liquid to the sauce and return the skillet to medium heat.
  • Toss the pasta gently until it is well coated and heated through, about 5 minutes.
  • Fold in the cheese.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve the pasta hot with additional cheese alongside.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pasta / Pork

Onion And Bacon Jam

Onion And Bacon Jam

In Seattle, the buzz about Bacon Jam started when a local food truck, Skillet, started slathering it on their fabulous burgers and hot sandwiches. Jars of Skillet’s Original Bacon Jam are now available online, but inspired chefs may prefer to make their own version. This is our favorite, with roasted garlic and shallots and a hint of black coffee. Use a spoonful with eggs, slather it on a grilled cheese sandwich, or put a delicate dollop on a canapé. The possibilities are endless.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes about 216 cups

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Cut the garlic cloves and shallots in half, exposing the flesh but leaving the skins on.
  • Place them on a double piece of foil and drizzle with the olive oil, tossing to coat.
  • Seal the foil into a pouch and bake until the garlic and shallots are soft, about 30 minutes.
  • Cool slightly until easy to handle, and remove the skins.
  • While the garlic and onions are roasting, cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat until crisp, working in batches if needed, about 8 minutes per batch.
  • Transfer to paper towels, reserving rendered bacon fat in the pan.
  • Pour out all but ¼ cup of the bacon fat.
  • Save any extra fat for Clarified Bacon Fat Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 10-12 minutes.
  • Add the roasted garlic and shallots, mashing them a bit with the back of a spoon.
  • Return the bacon to the pot and stir in the remaining ingredients.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the mixture becomes a deep, rich color and jam-like texture, about 2 hours.
  • If the mixture begins to dry out before it is dark and soft, add a few tablespoons of water and stir often to prevent the jam from burning.
  • Transfer jam to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the jam is roughly chopped and more spreadable.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve warm or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork / Sandwich toppings

Wrapped-Up, Glazed-Up Pork Tenderloin

Wrapped-Up, Glazed-Up Pork Tenderloin

Without question, this is one of the most popular recipes in the whole book. The pork is juicy, tender and flavorful and the easy-to-make glaze tastes like it took all day to make. This recipe makes extra rub for another use.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Trim the pork of excess fat and membrane.
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, chili powder, and cayenne.
  • Rub the pork generously with the spice mixture.
  • Store any extra spice rub in an airtight container for another use.
  • Wrap the pork in strips of bacon, overlapping the pieces slightly and tucking the ends underneath to hold them in place.
  • Heat the oil in a roasting pan or a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Sear the pork until it is brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the tenderloin until the core temperature reaches 155°F, about 15 minutes.
  • While the pork is cooking, whisk together the apricot preserves and mustard in a small saucepan.
  • Warm the mixture over medium-low heat until it begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rosemary.
  • A few minutes before the pork is ready to come out of the oven, spoon a few tablespoons of glaze evenly over the meat.
  • Continue cooking just to set the glaze.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot slices of the pork with the remaining glaze alongside.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Pork