Recipe for Bacon...JUST BACON

 

  

I realize that this post might seem a little ridiculous, but I think that the subject matter is pretty fantastic.  Those of you who know me personally can vouch for how much I love the amazing pork product we call bacon.  I think that everything tastes so much better with it, be it sweet, savory - whatever. 

In addition to my love of bacon, I'm lucky enough to be friends with people who not only share my views but are totally into indulging and engaging in total, utter bacon gluttony - when the opportunity arises.  And sure enough, that opportunity came up last weekend on our cabin trip to Arlington, Vermont.  We cooked up one of the best breakfasts we ever had - gargantuan stuffed pancakes with homemade hash browns and beautiful, ultra thick bacon.

You're probably wondering where we got this gorgeous slab of pork.  Through the excellent recommendation of Meg, Dan got this beauty in Astoria's European grocery store, Parrot Coffee Market.  Needless to say, they don't only sell coffee, but have a plethora of wonderful international foods such as dates, nuts, frozen goods, bread and of course this bacon.  It's a bit pricey at $8.99 for the package, but considering how many mouths that will feed and how satisfied everyone will be, it's worth it.

So without further ado, here's how we prepared the world's greatest bacon:

The Greateast Ultra-Thick Bacon (serves 6)

Ingredients:
Ultra-thick bacon that I reference above.  You can get this at a specialty foods store or a European market in your neighborhood.
Maple syrup (optional but recommended)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice bacon into very thick slices (about 1/2 inch) and place on a prepared baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  If you have one, place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet instead and put the bacon on top - that way when it's in the oven, the grease drips down on the lined baking sheet and the bacon remains crispy.

Brush bacon slices with maple syrup.  Place prepared bacon in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the bacon starts bubbling.  Turn your oven up to broil, and continue cooking for about 5-10 minutes more.  Take a peek half-way through to make sure that you don't burn the bacon. 

Take bacon out of the oven and let rest for a few minutes.  Serve with your favorite breakfast dish and let your tastebuds do the rest of the work.