Smells Like Bacon

Okay, maybe they are not actual bacon pills but the Uncle Oinkers Bacon Mint is the closest think to a bacon pill that you are likely to find.

Archee Mcphee’s has a whole assortment of meat themed novelty items. Not sure if they use real bacon juice to flavor the mints or whether this is just some creative chemistry.

Gotta love the bacon container too. And when have you ever heard a breath mint described as “savory”?

Can it get any better than a Maple-bacon Lollipop? Possibly, if you had two Maple-bacon lollipops. I was disappointed to see that just as I discover this example of culinary ecstasy that, alas, they have no more. I will be waiting anxiously for the next batch. You can check it out for your self at http://lollyphile.com.

So how can someone think of something so creative you ask? Well, they also have absinthe flavored lollipops.

What bacon blog is complete without a bacon flowchart? This is in so many places, I am not sure who originally came up with it. All I know is that I use it every day.

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I guess Jim Gaffigan was right, they do wrap other foods in bacon to make them better! I plan on trying this one out next time I see a sale on tuna steaks.

Ingredients

• 4 slices smoked bacon
• One 1-pound tuna steak, 1 inch thick, cut into 4 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
• 2 Hass avocados, thinly sliced

 

Directions

1. Lay the bacon strips on a cutting board and place a piece of tuna in the center of each; season with salt and pepper. Fold the bacon around the tuna and secure with toothpicks.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the tuna and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the tuna is still pink inside, about 6 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Toss in the frisée and avocados and transfer to plates.
4. Remove the toothpicks from the tuna and cut each piece in half. Arrange the tuna over the frisée and serve right away, drizzling any remaining dressing left in the bowl over the fish.

Recipe by Katy Sparks
From Minimalist Recipes from Katy Sparks

Emmm. Shrimp sauteed in rendered bacon fat. Can a BLT get any better than that? I contend that it cannot. Well, unless you add more bacon.

SHRIMP BLT

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

• 12 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 pounds medium shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), unpeeled
• 2 tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• 12 slices sourdough bread
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 6 leaves butter lettuce

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon slowly until crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet (leaving any fat in the skillet) and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp, let cool and peel.

Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt.

Lightly toast the bread. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice. Place a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, and 2 slices of bacon on 6 slices of the toast. Top with the shrimp, dividing them equally, and then with the remaining toasts.

Cut diagonally in half and serve.

(Recipe from Jonathan Waxman’s “A Great American Cook,” Houghton Mifflin, 2007, $35)

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/easyrecipes/stories/010708dnlivblt.1c6d54e5.html

Truth about bacon from Jim Gaffigan. Special thanks to Paul for reminding about this gem from Conan. I promise that the in depth bacon reviews will begin soon and when they do, the world will never be the same.

From one of my favorite documentaries, The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years. Yes, it is Ozzy in a bath robe cooking eggs and bacon. Notice how he stirs the bacon rather than flipping it. He really is a genius on so many levels. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go call Alan.