Bacon fat is your kitchen's greatest secret weapon, lending its smoky depth and salty twist to any recipe.
Despite its popularity, bacon is not one-fat-fits-all. Every smokehouse has its own cure with varying degrees of saltiness and sweetness. But bacon also has regional characteristics, and different geographies make for different smokes—from New England corncob and mid-western apple trees to the hickory wood of the south. And while there are countless varieties, here are some smokehouses that ship to your door. - Francine Maroukian
Maple syrup cured and corncob smoked in the classic New England style. The quintessential breakfast bacon, the slabs from Lawrence"s Smoke Shop are sweet and lean, making them also good for adding flavor to a delicate dish like corn chowder.
1 lb. Cob-smoked bacon, $6.75
Corn Chowder with Sea Scallops
- 6 oz. mildly smokey bacon (6 to 7 slices), coarsely chopped
- 1 cup minced red onion (1 large onion)
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery (with pale green celery leaves reserved if possible)
- 3 cups frozen corn kernels, defrosted and well drained
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 lb. red new potatoes (washed but not peeled), diced
- One half cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Tabasco, or to taste
- 2 tbs fresh-snipped chives
- Kosher salt and ground white pepper to taste
In a medium stockpot over moderate heat, fry bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is almost crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and reserve. Drain off all but 2 tbs bacon fat.
Lower heat, add onion and celery and cook in bacon drippings, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, about 12 to 15 minutes. As vegetables begin to exude their moisture, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the browned bacon fat clinging to the bottom of the stockpot.
Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree 1 cup corn kernels with 1 cup milk. Add to the stockpot and stir well. Add remaining corn kernels, milk and potatoes, stirring to combine. Keeping heat low, cook until potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in reserved bacon, heavy cream, Tabasco and chives, and simmer until chowder thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Ladle into deep bowls, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with reserved celery leaves.
Serves two hearty eaters as a main course or four as starter.
Nodine"s Smokehouse turns out an array of differently flavored eating and cooking bacon. Season a pot of red beans with Bayou bacon, rubbed with Cajun herbs and spices and smoked over hickory hardwood.
1 lb. Bayou bacon, $8.90
Meaty and mildly sweet, Nueske"s bacon is moderately smoked over genuine apple wood, perfect alongside eggs or layered into a sandwich.
3 lb. Slab bacon, $24.50
Continental Club
- 1 Italian-style soft roll (airy and crusty; not dense)
- 3 thin slices fresh mozzarella
- 4 to 6 slices bacon, cooked but not crisp
- 4 oven-roasted plum tomato halves
- 1/4 cup cleaned and trimmed arugula leaves
To slow roast tomatoes: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper. Halve 2 medium-sized ripe plum tomatoes. Scoop out pulp and seeds, blotting excess liquid with paper towels and toss with olive oil until coated but not drenched (about 1 tsp oil). Place tomatoes, cut side up, in parchment-lined pan and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast until the tomatoes dry out and begin to shrivel but centers are still slightly wet, about 60 minutes. Remove pan and cool on a rack.
Split sandwich roll length wise. Arrange the mozzarella on the bottom half, with the cheese slices slightly overlapping. Add the bacon, layering the tomatoes and arugula on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Close the top half of the sandwich, and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Cut in half on the diagonal and serve.
Serves one hearty eater.
A blue-ribbon winner at the Virginia State Fair, Edwards is simultaneously sweet and smoky, a good all purpose cooking bacon, and a nice match for Thanksgiving Brussels sprouts or cornbread dressing. Save some rendered fat for basting the bird.
2 1/4 lb. Hickory-smoked bacon, $19.95
With Arkansas-style brown sugar and a black peppercorns rub, use a few of these Texan slices to bump up your cheeseburger. Or chop and toss into a pasta dish.
12 oz. of Peppered bacon, $6.95
Spaghetti with Bacon and Jalapeno
- 2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup hand-grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Vella Jack cheese (a dried Monterey Jack, available in specialty food stores, that can be grated like Parmesan), plus extra for passing on the side
- 2 to 3 ounces dry spaghetti
- 3 ounces pepper bacon (3 to 4 slices), coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Place butter and cheese in bottom of deep serving bowl and set aside.
In a stockpot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a small heavy skillet over moderate heat, cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is almost crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a small bowl and reserve. Drain and discard all but 1 tbsp bacon fat. Lower heat and cook jalapeno and garlic, until edges begin to color, about 3 minutes. Add to the reserved bacon and combine.
Drain spaghetti in colander but do not rinse. Immediately transfer hot spaghetti to the serving bowl with butter and cheese and toss to coat. Add bacon mixture and toss quickly to combine. Serve with extra cheese on the side.
Serves one hearty eater.
Hickory smoked but available in two cure styles: full-flavored "country" and more mild "city" version (bacon and bacon-lite). Good for crumbling into mashed potatoes or a pile of greens.
2 lb. "Country" smoked bacon, $26.50 or "City" mild bacon, $26.50
A well-balanced apple wood smoked bacon made from award-winning Midwestern Duroc pork. Think homey casserole dishes like savory bread pudding or mac and cheese.
12 oz. Dry cured bacon, $12.95
Extra strong and intense, this bacon is best used under a dish, letting the rendered fat deliver its flavor to beefy braises like pot roast or shortribs.
3 1/2 lb. Maple smoked bacon, $25.50
Smoky Chili with Toppings
- 4 to 6 slices smokey bacon (about 6 ounces)
- 3 large yellow onions, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
- About 2 tsp coarse or kosher salt
- 2 lb. coarse ground beef (chuck)
- 2 lb. coarse ground pork (shoulder)
- 2 tbs ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 cup canned Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand and with their juices
- 6 cups superior beef stock
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 canned whole green chiles, finely chopped (pre-chopped don"t retain enough of their oils)
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Two 15 oz. cans red kidney beans, rinsed under gently running cool water, drained and tossed with 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs yellow cornmeal
Spice Mix
- 1/3 cup mild unseasoned chili powder
- 2 tbs chipotle chili powder
- 3 tbs Mexican oregano
- 3 tbs ground cumin
In a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over moderately low heat, cook bacon until fat is rendered, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon (leaving as much of the bacon drippings behind as possible) and reserve for topping. Raise heat to moderate and add onions, stirring to coat them with bacon fat. Cook until the onions are soft and the edges begin to color, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to a separate bowl.
Working in small batches, add the beef and pork, sprinkle with salt, and cook until both meats lose their pink color, about 18 to 20 minutes. (At this point the meat does not have to be cooked all the way through.) Return onions to the stockpot and stir to combine.
Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, until everything is well coated and the mixture is a deep mahogany, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and stock, stirring well to scrape up any browned onions and meat from the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chili thickens, about 1 hour. Stir in garlic and green chiles, continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper and more salt (if needed).
When you are ready to serve the chili, mix in the kidney beans, simmering for another 5 minutes. Stir in cornmeal. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with reserved bacon.
Serves six.
Smoky, salty, sublime: Benton"s bacon is considered to be the finest in the country by chefs like John Besh (Restaurant August, New Orleans). Season robust dishes like grits and greens or chili with small amounts. And first timers, beware. The frying aroma will hang in the air for hours, making you feel like someone in a Walker Evans photograph.