I Call the Belly!

According to Tasting Table (whose special at A Voce was a sham!), Marlow & Daughters have started carrying Bev Eggleston pigs—the beloved and sustainably raised pork used in Gramercy Tavern, Back Forty, and Craft. Unfortunately, they only get 1 pig a week which is divided between the butcher shop’s customers and Marlow & Sons’ kitchen. You have to beat out the restaurant to get to some of these delectable cuts such as $9/lb. pork shoulder and $17/lb. bone-in pork chops. I want dibs on the pork belly! I may have insider help... what’s up Scott??

Bacon Killed the Vegetarian?

If any meat had the power to convert a diehard vegetarian, it’s bacon. I’ve had vegans tell me they still dream of bacon and heard of vegetarians who claim to be "bacontarians." A former vegetarian friend (who I believe was responsible for food gone missing from my plate while I'm in the restroom) places bacon on his list of top favorite smells. It’s allure is quite intoxicating... And with the ever-widening availability of better quality meats that are responsibly raised, is it so wrong to eat meat now? How could you possibly resist? Pork-centric restaurants all over the city are only fanning the flames. Edible Manhattan has an interesting discussion on the matter (click the bottom link for the audio clip). And if you are a proud vegetarian/bacon lover, this is the shirt for you.

update:

New York Press has an article on the same subject of vegetarians succumbing to bacon. One former vegetarian, now rock-star butcher, Tom Mylan says his fight to keep flesh out of his diet just got old and that, “If I wanted to eat bacon, I would eat bacon.” Take that tofu... another win for bacon!

Save Bacon Fat, Save the Earth (and the Economy?)

Growing up, my grandmother had a can under the kitchen sink to store grease. I never followed this frugal habit as I never really cook. But this year, I started saving my bacon grease (mainly to bake cookies). This article argues that doing so is an easy way to do your bit for the environment. Maybe you can’t afford a hybrid car or thermal heating system... but you can conserve a natural resource by cooking with your bacon grease! A very tasty sounding potato recipe is provided just to prove that it’s worth your while. If you don’t use it for cooking perhaps you can use it as fuel. The article even claims that saving bacon grease will save the economy:

“Cardiologists will prosper and they will buy the hybrid autos, and install geo-thermal systems thus stimulating the economy. The stock market will recover, the recession will end -- and we will owe it all to bacon grease.”

Sounds good to me!

Baconmobile

Now you too can drive a baconmobile—or at least smell like you do (and only if you live in the Manitowoc, Wisconsin area). Dan and Tracy Kaderabek opened their first Bio-Blend Fuel station proving an alternative to conventional diesel fuel. They are putting pig fat into pick up trucks! Dan Kaderabek says:

“The pork gets run through microwaves to make precooked bacon, the grease falls off and that's what we use. Americans’ bad eating habits ensure our supply."

Even better:

“There's no soot, no smoke, it gives you better efficiency and it smells like bacon.”

Sweet!