http://www.baconscotch.info/?p=1823

I got this Bacon from ‘a farm’ in northern Minnesota. ; ) I had no idea that it was packaged in the full chunks like this, so I couldn’t even tell you how fascinated I was to see a brick of bacon! As you can see from the pictures below, I sliced the bacon as nicely as I could. It smelled so smokey good that I was tempted to eat it just like that!

Ummmmmmmm… I just realized that while writing this post, I was so excited to eat this delicious bacon, that I didn’t take pictures of the final product… damn. Next time! ; )

Bacon Lot’s of Cuts

Bacon – Ready to Cook

http://www.baconscotch.info/?p=1823

http://www.baconscotch.info/?p=1868

So you’re out in the woods, getting your nature walk on, maybe on your way to the fishin’ hole, or back from a covert underground chainsaw carving competition, when hunger strikes. You reach into the pocket of your bear-scratch riddled Carhartt jacket for something to silence the ferocious growling of your mighty stomach. What do you pull from the depths? Granola? Hardly, dolphin hugger. Power Bar? No way, Lance Armstrong. Beef jerky? Maybe once upon a time, back when the world was in black and white. No! You draw from your pocket, like Excalibur drawn forth from its scabbard, a mighty strip of Bacon Jerky!

So the mad meat candy geniuses over at Bacon Freak have taken one of the most manly dehydrated meat snacks and pushed it to the next level. I had the good fortune to get a pouch of the peppered flavor and one of the Summer Tomato BLT and I am here to report my findings.

Unboxing: So the 2 ounce package offers up 6-7 thick slices of bacon. The slices were nice and thick and clearly cut from proper slabs of bacon, not some flimsy machine-shaped hunk of lop-grade pig. Bacon is not as lean as beef so I immediately noticed that the slices did have a bit of a greasy feel to them. I would suggest keeping some napkins on hand.

Consuming: So I tried the Peppered flavor first. The first bite was interesting. The consistency was not what I was expecting. It’s much softer than beef jerky. No gnawing or tearing required. You can just bite it right off with your front teeth. No need to worry about jaw fatigue whilst working your way through a bag of this stuff. I’d almost describe the mouth feel as a little bit mealy. It’s hard to explain but you definitely cock an eyebrow. Not a bad thing, just different. I chose to tear hunks off for some co-workers and I noticed that, as with bacon prepared almost any other way, the fat wants to separate from the meat. More on that later.
The cure on the bacon must be very light because the flavor seems to primarily come from the pepper rub (which is very heavy and comes off on your hands in quantity; another reason to keep those napkins handy). The flavor was a little non-descript and less salty than I was expecting. You can taste the pepper but overall it was a bit bland in my opinion. Also, you want to make sure that you get meat and fat in the same bite. As mentioned before the meat and fat like to separate. I ate the meat first and then followed up with the fat. Not so great. While the meat has a nice mild flavor, the fat, while rich, tastes like, well, fat. Get it all in one bite and you’re good to go.

Next up, the Summer Tomato BLT. Wowzers. This stuff was an onslaught of flavor. It was sweet and tangy with some interesting seasonings and had clearly been glazed so the flavor was more uniform and the meat/fat separation was a non-issue. While people were hot and cold on the peppered flavor, the BLT was a unanimous hit.

So, the next time you’re stocking up the ol’ cooler for a trip out into the wilds, leave the gorp at home and order up a couple bags of bacon jerky to fuel both yourself and your sense of adventure.  Pick up one flavor or try all 6 at Bacon Freak. 

http://www.baconscotch.info/?p=1868

http://www.baconscotch.info/?p=1840

Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle

It’s a sad fact, but when doing our reviews we find most bacon products that cannot be cooked in a skillet disappoint. The vast majority of products are novelty only and aren’t fit to be eaten. Thankfully, this isn’t one of those products.

Both Steve and Bob (co-proprietors) have made contact with me to ensure that I received the products and had all the information I needed. Bob called me shortly after sending out the samples to chat. We discussed the merits of pairing their peanut brittle with various beverages and general bacon theory. Bob is a very amiable guy and it was a pleasure to get a personal call, often we get products but no connection to their creators.

On to the review!

Packaging:
Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle comes in a nice sturdy cardboard box with a thick paper label wrapped over the fold to seal in the treat. Inside are shredded brown paper crinkles to keep the goods safe. On the label is the familiar picture of Sir Francis Bacon who is whimsically adorned with a piggy nose. I like it, no gross styrofoam, simple, classic, and a nice consistent theme throughout.

Taste:
In a word, delicious. This is a classic peanut brittle, with BACON. In fact, the first ingredient IS bacon.
The smoky bacon flavor comes through boldly, backed up with America’s favorite nut, and all tied together with a sweet brittle magma flow. It’s a sweet treat and you only need a little to last a long time.
Flat out, I absolutely love this stuff. To my surprise, so did all my tasting victims. Most of the time there are at least a few dissenters who simply cannot wrap their brain around a bacon based product, the bacon peanut brittle managed to wipe away their doubts.

Consistency:
Two schools of thought here-

Me (several cavities as a young adult): Just the way I like it! It chews nicely and I have a lingering treat in my molars for a good 30 minutes after I’ve finished.

Tester #2 (married into dental family):  It is a little too chewy for my taste and sticks to my teeth.

Price:
$15.95 for an 8 ounce box.

Value:
Since I ate well under an ounce per serving, this product is a great value. I’m not out yet and I’ve had it for a few weeks. I’ve been enjoying little bites regularly and I’ve also been sharing with quite a few folks along the way.

Conclusions:
Compared to The Redhead NYC Peanut Brittles, this is a completely different product. The Redhead makes a snacky salty savory treat while Sir Francis makes a smoky dessert. Personal taste preference would lead me to buy Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle over The Redhead’s product, but that’s my sweet tooth talking. They are totally different taste palettes and I might actually suggest getting both.

If you love bacon, this is for you! Even if you just like bacon, still for you. I highly recommend Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle, it’s a superb product, tastes fantastic, and is probably my #1 bacon gift suggestion for the holidays. Also, the proprietors are friendly and knowledgeable, all the more reason to support this company!

Buy it here: Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle

http://www.baconscotch.info/?p=1840

What would you do if you were completely out of bacon and your next Monthly Gourmet Bacon Club “Membership-ment” wasn’t due for another 4 days?

How would you satisfy your need to feed on the world’s only “Perfect Food,” what we have come to call Bacon? Obviously it would be physically impossible to go without bacon for 4 days, so that option is simply ridiculous.

Would you risk buying mass produced, store bought bacon. That’s pretty dangerous because, as you know, once that stuff gets into your fridge, it will eventually get moved into your freezer, then out the garage freezer and over time, it’ll be completely forgotten about and therefore never, ever go away!

Well, thankfully we now finally have “the answer for” you that we believe can help you get through the mistake of not ordering enough gourmet bacon to safely and comfortably get you through your month.

Special Thanks to Dan S. of Los Angeles, California, who had the interest, time, energy and clever idea to assemble a special forces team of 12 serious “Baconistas” to go out and compare / compile a rating system, grading (A) The actual quality of the bacon that is used, as well as (B) The over-all taste, quality and enjoyment of the menu item served up at 12 of the most visited fast food restaurants.

As explained by Dan the grading system is thoroughly logical and quite easy enough to understand. Each of the 12 members of the team of the rank the restaurants from #1 to #12, so that when scoring, #1 gets 1 point and #12 gets 12 points. Like in golf, the lower the score that you receive, the better the ranking the restaurant gets on the list.

Then all 12 grading sheets are carefully tabulated, and the restaurant with the lowest number … wins.

Let us know what you think of the results of Dan and his team’s investigation and we hope this helps those of you who usually don’t do the fast food thing, but simply have to get your “Bacon Fix” before you totally lose it. Thanks Dan.

Here’s what the team concluded when it came to fast Food restaurant with the best Bacon Meal available out there:

#1: Wendy’s

#2: Subway

#3: KFC

#4: Starbuck’s

#5: Quiznos

#6: Carl’s Junior

#7: Del Taco

#8: Arby’s

#9: McDonald’s

#10: Dairy Queen

#11: Taco Bell

#12: Tie Between Sonic and Burger King

Fast forward to the weekend: You crave a more complex wine, so maybe you’ll search your stash for an older Bordeaux or fine Pinot Noir. We like those sophisticated wines when we have the time and energy to savor them.

That’s also how we feel about bacon. Yes, BACON. There are Monday bacons, and there are weekend bacons. We love them, both but the weekenders are extra-special.

Such specimens can be found in the selection of fine bacons from Johnston County Hams in Smithfield, N.C., a southern pork mecca where the 60-year-old company has been cranking out heritage-quality hams and other smoked meats with an emphasis on quality. The company even produces a boutique-level ham that rivals Italian prosciutto. And that’s what we call good.

But you know us. We’re bacon people. We love the stuff. And we love the dry-cured bacon slabs and sliced bacons from Johnston County Hams. We think the samplers are the way to go, but we’ll let you decide. Take a look here:

Still not sure? Consider Johnston County uses the old-school curing process. It’s a craft based on the traditional curing process used by early American settlers and perfected by the legendary curemaster Jesse Brown. Plus The New York Times, Esquire, Wine Spectator, Men’s Journal and Southern Living are just a few of the media outlets that have featured the quality of Johnston County’s cured pork.

Try the bacon. Maybe a ham, too. We think you’ll taste something special. Of course, we won’t be surprised if you start building a special dry-cured pork collection for those weekend indulgences. Just like that special wine.

Johnston was kind enough to give all Bacon Today readers a 10% off coupon on their fine products.  At the time of checkout enter the coupon code: bacontoday10.

Enjoy

So, just what exactly is it that makes Sticky Pig Candies so bacon freakin’ amazing?

Well, I suppose it’s pretty darned simple to do the math and come up with the right answer: Gourmet Bacon + Delicious, Handmade Artisan Candy + Hot, Playful & Classy “Bacon Vixen” = 5 Snout Salute from Bacon Freak.

The genius behind the entire operation, Tara Simon, also known online as “The Bacon Vixen,” was inspired to artistically combine everyone’s favorite flavor; gourmet bacon, into some of the most mouth-watering, remarkably fine, elegant confections that you will ever come across, presented in a succulently sweet and salty, sensuously “suite and sultry” tongue tempting taste treats that are truly as visually stunning and aesthetically inspiring as they are delightfully and decadently delicious!

Guess what … SHE SUCCEEDED!

Literally blowing your taste-buds out of this universe with such luscious flavors as: Maple Cinnamon, Apple Pecan Dulce de Leche, Raspberry Jelly Doughnut, Coconut Curry Lime, Orange Ginger, Maple Sriracha, “The Sticky Pig” even pays an homage to everyone’s favorite childhood indulgence, “S’mores” and then honors the King himself with an amazingly scrumptious candied concoction proudly named “The Elvis,” consisting of bacon, peanut butter and of course, banana.

As if that’s not enough, and thankfully “The Bacon Vixen” declared that it most certainly is NOT, each month, there is Special Monthly Flavor, available ONLY in that month and then disappearing at the stroke of midnight when the month comes to an end. Some of these monthly works of art include: Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Mint Chocolate Irish,

Pig in a Blanket, Vanilla Cognac & Tobacco, Napoleon Dynamite, Amusement Park, Vin Santo Fig Newtonian, Dark Chocolate Peppermint.

The latest flavor is “HOT Mama – Spicy!” which is a wonderful combination of cool mango and lime paired with some muy caliente’ cayenne and ancho chili peppers, topped off with a candied jalapeno pepper some dried mango. Warning, this baby is pretty spicy and not recommended to the “fein of heart!”

Sticky Pig is absolutely awesome because Tara, The Bacon Vixen herself, as well as Sticky Pig owner / creative culinary chef is just as amazingly clever, fun, creative, playful, cool, alluring, classy and mysteriously mesmerizing as the Candied Bacon Confections that she so deliciously brings to her table of temptingly, tantalizing taste treats.

Bacon Freak enthusiastically gives “Sticky Pig” bacon featured fine candies, a definite 5 snout salute!

We often get letters touting the bounty of bacon served at some restaurant or a creative bacon product new to the marketplace. We’ll weave the tale into an article here on Bacon Today taking bits and pieces and adding our own spice. Every so often though, we get a letter that speaks for itself. This is one of those times and here is the letter in it’s entirety…enjoy…

Gentlemen,

I have just had the most slamatocious, porklicious, bacon laden meal of my career as a füdist (to clarify, foodies are who eat to be erudite in cuisine… füdists who eat for gratuitous self gratification). This meal was so insane, it was dirty… like a 70′s porn flick dirrrrrtay.

The meal started out with a snack of something called “F&D Poppycock”- which consists of fried peanuts, spicy pork rinds and toffee popcorn. As the pork rind seems to be the bastard cousin of bacon who shows up drunk to family reunions, I trust you will approve of this choice.

This was followed up with an open faced sandwich although that’s an almost embarrassing description because “The Ripper” is no standard grade sammich. Rather, it involves a bacon crusted pork sausage on a little toast (I liked the fact that there was more meat than bread) with mustard and relish. The y then surround this baby with a bed of homemade potato chips and deep fried pickles and onions. The sausage is house made and the bacon is definitely not understated.

But finally, and the primary reason I am writing, I had the pièce de résistance… lovingly called “The Pig Licker”. The name alone and the fact that it was on the dessert menu should have you scrambling to book a flight to Austin, TX immediately.

Gentlemen, you have covered the notion of chocolate covered bacon in the past… but this was different… this was (dare I say it?)… special.

“The Pig Licker” is thick cut praline dipped bacon covered in dark chocolate, served with a side of bacon root beer and a pork rind churro.

No.

Really.

You heard me correctly.

I tasted the bacon rootbeer first and I have to admit the bacon flavor matched with that of a good quality rootbeer did not suit my palate until I made a discovery… this dessert had a rhythm to it. The fulcrum of the dessert was the pork rind churro.

The pork rind churro was bubbly chunk of fried pig skin sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. It was, by far, the biggest surprise of the evening. The sweet and cinnamon flavor and light texture of the churro balanced this decadent dessert to porktastic perfection. Everything came together in a blaze of glorious pig-o-rrific fury when I took a bite of the chocolate covered bacon, followed that with a bite of the churro and then took a swig of the rootbeer.

I discovered that the difference between state fair or novelty chocolate covered bacon and this epicurean delight was, in my humble opinion, the cut of the bacon and the balance of salt. This bacon was cut almost a quarter inch thick. From there, it was coated in a sugar coating with just a hint of salt and roasted to that just-before-crispy point… after which it was coated in a layer of fine dark chocolate. It was salty, sweet, rich and bacony…

I nearly wept. It was as good as most sex… and I am not the kind of chick who says that over cupcakes.

You need to come to Austin, TX and have a meal at Foreign & Domestic (http://foodanddrinkaustin.com)… I’ll be happy to meat you there.

Signed,

Agent N.

Sweet, salty, chewy and oh so delicious. Buy a pack or two of some of the great flavors of bacon jerky. This stuff is great!

Here are the flavors of bacon jerky they offer:

• Jalapeno
• Pepper
• Cajun
• Honey BBQ
• Maple
• Summer BLT

I had some family in town so I thought what a better way to taste test a maple bacon coffee flavor then on a bunch of folks too polite to say no. I brewed up the first batch of Maple Bacon Morning™ and just as the coffee maker started to drip I heard the first “What is that? It smells like…maple syrup!” comment. The news trickled throughout the rooms of the house as quickly as the maple smell reached the noses of the family members. Their interest was peaked and a line was forming around the coffee pot.

This particular brew of coffee is on the light side, which matches up perfectly with the hint of maple syrup taste. While there is not actual bacon flavor noticeable, this coffee does make a perfect compliment for a bacon-enriched breakfast as my family & I certainly proved on the morning of my little experiment.

We had pancakes, eggs, and thick-cut bacon with a side of toast and with the addition of Maple Bacon Morning™ coffee, no one left the table disappointed. In fact, they asked where they could get a bag for themselves.

A recent trip to Superior, WI provided an unexpected bacon experience. We stopped at Vintage Italian Pizza (VIP), which is connected to the Capri bar and grabbed a bacon & pineapple pizza.

The pie arrived not long after we ordered and was steaming hot. Complimented by a pitcher of tasty beer the pizza really hit the spot. If you’re ever in the Superior, WI area and have a bacon craving, swing by VIP & the Capri to get your fix.

On a side note, my buddy Matt debuted his latest concoction – the BeerMosa. Similar to the traditional champagne/orange juice Mimosa found on so many a Sunday brunch, this drink is simple…beer & OJ. Give it a shot. Matt promises it’s excellent.