Hot Chicks Eat Bacon

Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks is mad for bacon—chocolate covered bacon to be exact—according to Esquire. A woman after my own heart, she orders a soup with both pancetta and guanciale and exclaims “I know my pork!” She goes on to extol the wonderful uses of having a deep fryer. Is there anything sexier than a hot woman who just loves to eat?

Next month, I will be going a Mad Men-era cocktail party filled with hot women who love to eat. So what do I bring for these drunk, hungry bitches? When I think of 1960s entertaining, I think: canapes! And wouldn’t baconmarmalade be a beautiful (and yummy) topping for a canape?! But... I’m not exactly prepared to share that much of my stash. Instead, I whipped out my trusty Bacon Cookbook and found a french cheese & bacon puff recipe that looks amazing. I then googled 1960s canapes and found a recipe for “baconettes” which sounds more theme appropriate. Which would you rather enjoy while knocking back a gimlet or two?

French Cheese & Bacon Puffs

1 cup water

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

4 large eggs

1/2 lb slab bacon, diced

1 cup shredded Gruyére

Combine water, butter & salt in a heavy saucepan & bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add flour & beat w/ a wooden spoon until a ball of dough forms. Transfer to a mixing bowl & add eggs one at a time, beating with an electric mixer on high until the batter holds soft peaks. Cover with plastic wrap & chill briefly.

Fry bacon until crisp & drain. Preheat oven to 375° & Butter a large baking sheet. Fold the cheese & bacon into batter & drop by tablespoon onto the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turn heat off & let stand until golden & crisp, about 10 minutes.

OR

Baconettes

bacon

peanut butter

large apple & toothpicks

Spread slices of bacon with peanut butter. Roll tight & fasten with toothpicks (soaked in water). Toast under broiler until bacon is done. Serve by sticking the toothpicks into a large apple.

Hipsters on Horseback

A recipe sent in by our West Coast correspondent, Kajsa:

You've had Angels On Horseback, (oysters wrapped in bacon), and Devils On Horseback, (dates wrapped in bacon - the ones at Magnolia are fantastic), I now give you Hipsters On Horseback! Yes, there may have been drinking involved in the naming of this creation. These are super simple and quick to make and the brininess of the hearts goes well with the salty fattiness of the bacon. I prefer to use thick cut peppered bacon from a butcher—it cooks more evenly and is easier to wrap.

1lb bacon
1 large jar of marinated artichoke hearts

Preheat broiler to 400º and move the rack to the top position.
Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil.
Drain the artichoke hearts and cut the bacon in half, wrap each heart and secure with a toothpick.
Broil for 5 minutes, turn them over and broil for another 5 - 9 minutes, until bacon is crispy.
Makes about 24

Can I rate my own dish? 4 strips!!!

Keep Fit - Eat Meat Every Day

This past weekend I ventured over the Williamsburg bridge for brunch at Marlow & Sons. My friend and I shared a couple dishes that included an amazing boudin sausage—possibly my favorite part of the meal (and yes, I did have bacon). Afterwards we stopped into Marlow & Daughters to check out the butcher shop where this wonderful sausage came from. Scott Bridi, manager and charcutier (and dining partner), was kind enough to give us a tour. See all photos here.

The place was packed and meat case close to empty. Scott was busy cranking out lamb sausages. Eventually there was a lull & the meat case was replenished before the shot above was taken. I was then introduced to the various charcuterie available—smoked meats, fresh sausages, patés, terrines. There is a lot of thought and care in the preparation of these items. Wine and fresh herbs are often used “to create the balance of a well composed dish,” according to Bridi. We of course had to see for ourselves... we sampled duck rillettes, pork rillettes, a Sunset Park taco-inspired pig head terrine, and sweet sopressata. Like the boudin at brunch, I could certainly eat any of these as a meal by itself. Another wonderful thing about the prepared foods is that it gives the shop an opportunity to make use of the whole animal.

Marlow & Daughters does whole animal butchering and they source their animals very locally. Their beef is from 3 farms in upstate NY. Pork comes from EcoFriendly Foods in VA as well as farms upstate including Flying Pigs. The lamb is from Elysian Fields Farm in PA. Duck and rabbit are from a farm in New Paltz. Meat isn’t all that they get locally. Fresh veggies come from Guy Jones’ upstate farm and their beans come from Cayuga Pure Organics in Ithaca. A number of groceries are sourced even closer to home: popsicles from Brooklyn Flea regulars People’s Pops, Williamsburg’s own Mast Brothers Chocolate, and Marlow & Sons’ house-made ice cream, granola, marmalade and hazelnut butter (to name a few).

This is truly your local neighborhood butcher shop... and if it's not exactly local to you, it’s worth it to go out of your way. These guys aren’t just chopping up meat. They can tell you what cut to use and the best way to prepare it. There is a flexibility and a trust between the staff of M&D and their customers. Talk to Scott, TJ or Andrew who can offer suggestions on easy, delicious dishes based on what’s available. Coming from the kitchens of Gramercy Tavern, craft, and Momofuku—these guys know how to fucking cook. So take advantage of that knowledge when planning your next meal. And don’t forget:

P.S.

M&D will soon be selling barbecue packages... Get your grills ready! (Talking to you, Rosa.) If you can’t grill, their eponymous pork sausage will be available at Summer Stage this year.

Bacon, It’s Cold Outside

At least here in New York it is. I think it was about 10° out yesterday so I decided to break out my Bacon Cookbook to find a hearty winter recipe. Maytag beef and bacon stew? Perfect. Except... I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese or peppered bacon. I am however a big fan of traditional beef stews with potatoes & carrots which this recipe doesn’t call for. Here’s my take on beef & bacon stew:

Ingredients

6 slices Berkshire thick-cut bacon

3 large onions

2-3 carrots

2 potatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 lbs. beef shoulder cut into chunks

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup ale/full bodied beer

pinch of dried thyme, crumbled

pinch of dried rosemary, crumbled

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper to taste

2 cans beef broth

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Directions

1. Chop onions, carrots & potatoes into large pieces.

2. In a large pot fry the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels & crumble. Set aside.

3. Add the onions to the bacon fat & cook slowly over very low heat for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the carrots and cook another 10 minutes or until onions are nicely caramelized. Transfer to a plate.

5. Dust the beef in flour, tapping off any excess.

6. Add vegetable oil to the pot over high heat & brown beef on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

7. Add ale to the pot & deglaze.

8. Put the meat, onions, and crumbled bacon back in the pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients & bring to a boil.

9. Reduce heat & simmer covered for about 3 hours or until beef is very tender & vegetables are soft.

10. To thicken: take about 1-2 cups of liquid from the pot. Place into a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until smooth. Add back to the pot & mix well.

4 Cheese Mac with Bacon

Not the best picture—had to use my cell phone. Below is the recipe I used based on Emeril’s but with rotini instead of elbow pasta and adding bacon of course!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 tablespoon

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup Half & Half

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus 3 teaspoons

1/2 pound rotini pasta

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

1/8 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cook and drain 4 strips of bacon. Crumble and set aside.

2. In a heavy, medium sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add flour & stir constantly for about 3 minutes.

3. Increase heat to medium & whisk in the Half & Half little by little. Cook, stirring frequently for about 4 minutes or until thickened.

4. Remove from heat and season with salt & pepper. Add 1/2 cup of Parmigiano and stir until melted and smooth. Cover & set aside.

5. Cook pasta per package directions. Drain and return to pot.

6. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon butter to the pasta. Stir to combine.

7. Add bechamel sauce and bacon to pasta. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

8. Preheat oven to 350°and grease 8" x 8" baking dish with remaining butter.

9. Combine remaining Pamigiano with 3 other cheeses.

10. Place half of the pasta mixture in the dish. Top with 1/3 of the cheese mix. Repeat, covering the 2nd half of pasta with the remaining 2/3 of cheese.

11. Combine bread crumbs with 3 teaspoons of Parmigiano. Sprinkle over the mac & cheese.

12. Bake for 40 minutes or until bubble & golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Scrapple Snarkiness

Who knew that a mess of pig parts and cornmeal could cause such a stir? When this recipe for Scrapple ran in the New York Times in 1872, it sparked a 2 week long discussion via snail mail amongst readers. Today it’s just too convenient to click a button & leave a snarky comment on any subject matter online. Imagine actually having to write a letter, mail it, and then wait for it to possibly be published. Technology has made it faster & easier for us all to showcase our inner foodiot. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not... care to comment?

Bacon Bird

Dress (your turkey) to impress this Thanksgiving... bacon-wrapped turkeys are said to be moist, flavorful and create a delicious gravy. Not to brag, but I have made very moist, flavorful birds before—with butter, not bacon. But this seems even more alluring. Why not forgo the ham and just cook your pig and poultry in one pan? I’m not going to attempt this but if you have the time and space, knock yourself out—and send me pictures! Recipe here.

Be Thankful...

...if you get these butternut squash soup shots with candied bacon to start off your Thanksgiving dinner. Recipe here.

My New Bible

Very soon you’ll be seeing more and more bacon recipes featured (and not just cookies)! Eventually, anyway. Summer had me wanting to be out and eat out all the time. However, this book may be just the thing to inspire me to finally get back to the kitchen. The Bacon Cookbook was sent to me by baconista follower Justin of justcook nyc who is currently working with this author on a cookbook filled with all Southern-style pig recipes out next spring. Very exciting...

To weigh in on which recipe I should make first, vote in the poll to the right.

Bacon Searches

According to Trend de la Creme, “bacon recipes” was a more popular internet search on Yahoo than the recent death of Ted Kennedy. Bacon comes in just below searches for Michael Jackson whose birthday was celebrated this past weekend. Bacon is rather important in my life but, wow—seriously? I am just as surprised as Trend de la Creme (thanks to Michelle for sending me the interesting blog) who says: “we are all going to hell in a hand basket. A really, really big hand basket. Lined with ham... and gravy... and fried chicken... and Lipitor.” Yes, well, here’s to Teddy:

Bacon Tomato Jam

I hate condiments and I hate tomatoes (just raw ones). But I actually do love tomato jam—at least the sweet delicious stuff my grandma makes. So when I saw this recipe I was deeply lamenting the failure of my three little tomato seedlings earlier this spring. I was tempted to order a $15 jar of skillet bacon jam all the way from Oregon but I am still a bit skeptical of pureed bacon. Besides, wouldn’t it be better to pick up some tomatoes from the local greenmarket and make this sweet and savory version (no blender involved!) at home?

“Pork. Fat. Salt and Sugar.”

I can’t think of a better flavor combination. A lot of sugar, cream and butter—and bacon of course! I’ve not made candy before but might just have to try my hand at this bacon caramel recipe from not without salt. Although it would be even better if someone just made it for me...

Bacon Burger Dog

Recently, someone contacted me about Wright Brand Bacon. Has anyone ever tried this brand? It’s new to me but I should be getting some samples to try soon—I’ll let you know what I think! In the meantime here is a recipe they provided that looks pretty perfect for summer. Watch the video with Food Network’s Aaron McCargo here.

Bacon Burger-Style Hot Dog

serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

6  strips uncooked Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon

1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, chopped

1 cup shredded Colby cheese

4 hot dog buns

8 strips uncooked Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon

Grilling Preparation Instructions

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

1.  While grill is preheating, in a medium size bowl mix ground beef, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

2.  Cook 10 strips of Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon according to package directions. Allow to cool slightly, then coursely chop.

3.  In another medium bowl, gently toss the cooked bacon pieces with jalapeños and cheese; set aside.

4.  Divide burger meat into quarters and roll each quarter between two pieces of plastic wrap to a 6-inch by 4-inch square.

5.  Place 1/4 of the cooked bacon, jalapeño and cheese filling down the middle of each square.  Roll and seal meat into hot dog shape.

6. Wrap each burger dog with two strips of uncooked Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon from end to end, securing with a toothpick. 

7.  Place burger dogs on medium-hot grill and cook approximately 15-20 minutes with lid closed, turning every 2-3 minutes or until cooked.

8.  Remove burger dogs from grill, place on hot dog buns and enjoy!

Bacon Sweets & Treats

If you’ve been following the baconista (or just eating out... or even just reading the newspaper) you know that bacon-centric desserts is nothing new. This article discusses the oh-so-crazy trend that’s sweeping the nation. Like me, I’m sure you don’t need to be convinced of how fantastic savory bacon goes with anything sweet. Just scroll past the story, straight to the bottom. There you will find several recipes by William Mueller known for the bacon delights he serves at Babblin’ Babs Bistro in Tacoma, WA. First on my list to try—Love Me Tender peanut butter, bacon and banana cookies. Maple bourbon with bacon praline ice cream is also high on the list. Yum!!

Fancy Bacon Pops

No, not the maple lollipops with bacon chunks—these are bacon and cheese. One of my favorite combinations! Skip the burger, baked potato, sandwich... whatever it is that you usually use as a vehicle for bacon and cheese. These lovely pops from thekitchn.com are a decadent mixture of goat cheese and cream cheese rolled in crispy, crumbled bacon beautifully served on apple slices! I know some of you are not big goat cheese fans but I'm sure you can substitute with some other kind of cheese. And as a true baconista, the “Extra-bacon option” would actually be a requirement.

Thank you Gristle!

Seduce Me

And this is the way to do it:

Seduced by Bacon by Joanna Pruess is filled with irresistible bacon recipes. Tempt your loved one with the come-hither smell of bacon this Valentine’s Day. You can see a few of the recipes here. Photographs by Liesa Cole are indeed seductive. Even shots of skillets and non-bacon ingredients look damn sexy.

The King of Fat

Someone please get me this book! Or better yet, someone just make me a few of the recipes in it! Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient (who wouldn't want to read this?!) argues that the quest for health has gone way too far. I agree! McLagan describes pork fat as the king of fat. I would like to believe that bacon fat in particular currently reigns! Recipes include a smoky bacon & squash soup and a slow-roasted pork belly. And she also answers my question with her spice cookie recipe that calls for bacon fat rather than butter. Fat is a beautiful thing...

Thanks to Pete LaCock for sending me the Times review.

Bacon Explosion Unites All

This morning as I was reading the NY Times over the shoulder of a fellow subway rider, this article immediately caught my eye: Take Bacon. Add Sausage. Blog. It is the story of the bacon and sausage concoction called the Bacon Explosion—which the Times claims has the ability to "to unite conservatives and liberals, gun owners and foodies, carnivores..." And really, can't we all use a little unity right now? If bacon can't achieve that, I don't know what can. Find the recipe here.

Bacon Candy

I am eternally grateful to Christopher Butler for sharing with me the delicious yet dangerous recipe for bacon candy. He is also responsible for my Baconista profile picture minus the bacon thought bubble (yes, I replaced my friend's head with bacon). Thanks, Chris!

Bacon Candy:

-cube some slab bacon

-toss in brown sugar

-spread on a cookie sheet

-bake at 300° for 30-45 minutes

The result is an irresistible pile of giant, sugar-coated bacon bits which also make a lovely garnish for other desserts. Since I've been on this bacon/chocolate kick lately, I added them to a plate of chocolate cheese cake. Bacon. Cheese. Chocolate. What??

A Toast to Bacon

With all the holiday parties and New Years celebrations coming up, it's the perfect time to serve up a festive new cocktail. What can make a martini even better? Bacon. Check out this Candied Bacon Martini recipe from the LA Times.