Comments on: Takin' bacon to the next level

Question: Takin' bacon to the next level

slogger — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:00:03 -0800

I am looking for new, interesting and (perhaps) unconventional bacon flavors.

Inspired by this thread, I have begun exploring the joys of curing bacon at home. My initial attempts have been quite successful: a sweet maple bacon, a savory garlic and black peppercorn bacon, and a simple bacon--all apple wood smoked.

Now that I have a few slabs under my belt, I want to take my bacon to the next level. I've been poking around the grocery stores for some inspiration, but have only seen more traditional flavors (maple, molasses, peppercorn, etc).

So, what interesting bacon flavors have you seen/tasted/made? What flavor of bacon would you be most curious to try?

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:05:04 -0800

Paprika, with or without garlic.

By: Ugh

Ugh — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:05:16 -0800

Mmm, honey mustard bacon. Also, maybe you could try ranch-flavored bacon? Not for my tastes, but my friends drown everything they eat in that stuff.

By: Metroid Baby

Metroid Baby — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:13:19 -0800

Chocolate + bacon = delicious, artery-plaquing perfection. I'm not sure how you could translate it into the curing process, though.

By: JeremiahBritt

JeremiahBritt — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:13:24 -0800

Chocolate-covered bacon.
Apparently, it is surprisingly good.

By: sisquoc15

sisquoc15 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:15:08 -0800

Bring bacon flavor to everything else with...Bacon Salt!!!

(Haven't tried it myself)

By: troika

troika — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:19:39 -0800

Adding another vote to the Vosges Bacon Bar. Heavenly!

By: junesix

junesix — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:22:05 -0800

Whiskey (Jack Daniel's-based marinade)
Curry (using cumin and spices seasoning)
Ginger (not sure how you'd imbue ginger flavor into the bacon)
Korean spicy pepper (if you have access to Asian/Korean markets, look for gochujang as the base for thick paste marinade)

By: milkrate

milkrate — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:24:19 -0800

I'd really want to try it just with pretty standard rib or butt barbecue rub. The other one I'd be curious about would be based on Cuban pork.

By: junesix

junesix — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:25:12 -0800

Also, I've always wondered if coffee/espresso flavor would go well on bacon. It seems to taste pretty good when I take a bite of bacon and take a sip of coffee in the morning.

By: TwelveTwo

TwelveTwo — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:25:54 -0800

I know that when I toss a splash of a good rum on store bought bacon at the very end of the cooking process it turns out bacon with a sweet note at the end that is superior to the maple-bacon flavor combination (or perhaps I just haven't had good maple bacon). Though rum-bacon is not quite as distinctive as a splash of pineapple or papaya juice, but usually more versatile a flavor. In my cooking tho, sweet tropical bacon flavors like those are reserved for being parts of a larger dish whilst rum-bacon can be used in a straight forward breakfast, like with coconut pancakes. Maybe one of those three flavors or two of the three could be applied in a future curing?

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:31:11 -0800

You could try an Indian-styled bacon with curry, cumin and coriander, or a Southwestern bacon with mesquite and jalapeño.

By: kidsleepy

kidsleepy — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:51:01 -0800

maybe orange? a sweet citrus to go with the salt sounds tasty to me.

By: luser

luser — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:54:01 -0800

Buffalo-wing sauce
Orange-citrus
Cinnamon bacon

By: jquinby

jquinby — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:59:43 -0800

Seconding milkrate.

The Cuban-pork marinade you're looking for is called mojo criollo. I'm pretty brand-loyal to La Lechonera, but it can also be made at home - you'll need sour (Sevile) oranges, garlic and a few other items.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:03:31 -0800

But of course, there's Bacon Candy.

By: middleclasstool

middleclasstool — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:14:59 -0800

Coffee or espresso might actually work well. I've tried a couple of recipes for other meats flavored with coffee, and they both worked -- they were for beef, not pork, but they worked.

Cola might surprise you too. A lot of traditional Southern US recipes for baked hams call for a can or two of Coke (I think Paula Deen did one once on her show), so I can't imagine it wouldn't translate well to bacon.

Also, ask any Polynesian: Pineapple + pig == YUM.

By: kidsleepy

kidsleepy — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:23:03 -0800

thought of another one- i recently had a pork roast that had been soaked in Guiness, and it was delicious!

By: thinkingwoman

thinkingwoman — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:01:56 -0800

i bet pineapple would be awesome.

By: sarahsynonymous

sarahsynonymous — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:20:05 -0800

I had some fancy frittes the other day that came with several flavored mayonnaises - one of them was bacon and cayenne, and it was surprisingly delicious.

By: AndrewStephens

AndrewStephens — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:10:25 -0800

I have tried the bacon candy (also called pig candy) suggested above, it's really easy to make. I felt sick for hours after eating, but it was totally worth it.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:18:06 -0800

Orange, mentioned above, sounds really good to me. So does peanut. I don't know what the best way would be to get those flavors into or onto the bacon, but it's tantalizing.

By: InnocentBystander

InnocentBystander — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:28:53 -0800

what about lapsang souchong tea? I think that would kick all sorts of smoky, delicious ass.

By: middleclasstool

middleclasstool — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:53:20 -0800

I don't know what the best way would be to get those flavors into or onto the bacon, but it's tantalizing.

With orange, you could grate the peel (don't get any of the white stuff, just the orange) and mix that with whatever other seasonings, or you could just marinate the bacon in juice. Peanut, maybe thin out some Smucker's Natural with a little peanut oil and smear it on?

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:29:24 -0800

I like to cold-smoke bacon sometimes.

By: slogger

slogger — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:00:36 -0800

For anyone still tuning in, I just put three slabs of belly into the cure, one with garlic, one with bourbon and maple syrup and the third with cocoa powder. I'll try to post again once they're finished curing and fully smoked.