Bar BQ Grills

makes four servings


For the Puree:
1 cup diced bacon (about 6 ounces)
4 cups sliced yellow onions

For the Mashed Potatoes:
2 large potatoes, peeled, diced (about 1 1/2 pound)
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cold butter, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
White pepper

For the Mushrooms:
4 baby portobello mushrooms, 2 1/2 to 3-inch diameter
Olive oil
4 slices Fontina cheese, 3 inches square
4 slices Italian prosciutto
4 wedges radicchio lettuce
2 cups arugula
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic, minced

Bacon Puree: In large heavy skillet, combine bacon and onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are very soft and dark brown, about 1 hour. While hot, puree in food processor. Set aside and keep warm. You will need 1 cup puree for this recipe.

Mashed Potatoes: Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Meanwhile, scald heavy cream. Drain and rice potatoes in food mill. Transfer potatoes to large bowl, add cream and stir vigorously. Add butter, continuing to stir potatoes. Stir in olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Set aside and keep warm. You will need 3 cups for this recipe.

Mushrooms: Prepare a hot grill. Remove stems and gills from mushrooms. Brush mushrooms with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Fill mushrooms with bacon puree. Spoon a good size dollop of mashed potatoes over the bacon. Top with a slice of cheese and a slice of prosciutto, pleated to fit. Place mushrooms on cooler part of grill until cheese is melted and gooey. While mushrooms are warming, season radicchio with salt and pepper. Grill both sides until slightly wilted and starting to turn brown.

Final Preparation: In medium bowl, toss grilled radicchio, arugula, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Divide onto four plates. Top each with a stuffed mushroom. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Gold, 40 Sardines, 11942 Roe Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas, (913) 451-1040 | Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, 8418 Excelsior Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53717, (608) 836-8820, info@EatWisconsinCheese.com

500 grams moose fillet
50 grams bacon
8 cornichons (small pickled gherkins)
8 toothpicks
salt & pepper
1 onion, quartered
1 beef stock cube
2 dl (20 ml) cream
2 tablespoons flour (for thickening)

Lingonberry Relish
200 grams lingonberries
100 grams sugar

Moose Roulades: Slice the meat into 8 equal slices and pound them. Season lightly with salt and pepper on one side. Put one bacon-wrapped cornichon on each slice of the meat and roll it up, securing the roulades with toothpicks. In a pot, bring to the boil 5dl of water, together with the beef stock cube and the onion. Heat a skillet with butter. When the foam subsides, add the roulades and brown them well on all sides. Place the roulades in the pot with the bouillon and simmer for about 15-30 minutes. The cooking time can vary depending on the age and quality of the meat. Remove a roulade to check - they should be tender but not boiled to shreds. Once the roulades are sufficiently cooked, remove and let them cool slightly while you make a sauce from the bouillon and meat juices. There should be about 3 dl left of the bouillon - whisk together with the flour and the cream, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk this into the boiling meat juice, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Season to taste. Remove the toothpicks and return the roulades to the sauce.

Lingonberry Relish: Mix together the lingonberries and sugar. Let stand about 2 hours before serving. Serve with the moose roulades with boiled potatoes, vegetables and the lingonberry relish.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Planet Food Scandinavia | Pilot Guides, the official Globe Trekker website, Pilot Film & Television Productions Ltd., The Old Studio, 18 Middle Row, London W10 5AT, UK

Hi again. It has been way too long between posts, I know. I don't really have an excuse, except that I have been writing so much for work that by the time I am finished really the last thing I want to do is write more. It's a little depressing because I always enjoy writing about BBQ, but hopefully the warmer weather will motivate me to write more.

Also contributing is the fact that I have not really been doing a whole lot of cooking. I cooked a few pork butts yesterday, and that was the first time I lit my Backwoods since Christmas Eve. It felt good to be cooking again.

Meanwhile, the planning for the Norwich Rotary Rose City BBQ Cook-Off is going great. A month ago, the contest was stuck at seven teams and morale was low. However, as of this writing there are 18 teams and our secondary goal of 20 teams is now a possibility. However, 18 is great, and we really appreciate the support of every single one of them.

I know as a cook, choosing which contests to cook is not always easy. And sometimes teams are hesitant to sign on to cook a first year event, as they don't really know what to expect. But Sheila and a few of her Rotary Club members have worked awfully hard to pull this off, and the momentum seems to grow a little more each day.

As for Q Haven, the season is still a work in progress. I am vending at Norwich and organizing Cape Cod, so it looks like our first contest will be New Hampshire in mid June. We will also be going back to Harpoon in July, and to Norwalk in September. The rest, completely up in the air.

serves 2-4


8 large artichokes
juice of 4 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz. applewood-smoked slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 shallots, sliced
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
pinch of saffron threads
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 lb. black trumpet mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

To clean the artichokes, fill a large bowl with 4 quarts of cold water and add the lemon juice. Peel of the outer leaves of the artichokes and use a paring knife to trim the base of the stem. Cut around the outside of the artichoke near the base. Continue trimming the base to remove all of the hard green outer parts. Since along the pointed top of the artichoke, exposing the choke about 1/4 inch above the top of the base. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke, and place the cleaned artichoke heart into the lemon water. Depending on how quickly you work with the artichokes, they may begin to oxidize. This will be less noticeable once they are cooked.

Heat the olive oil in a wide saute pan over low heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until the fat begins to render. Add the shallots, carrot, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and saffron. Continue cooking on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the ingredients, and but don't let them caramelize.

Add the cleaned artichokes and increase the heat to medium. Stir in the white wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and mushrooms and simmer gently until the artichokes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the artichokes from the pan and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the liquid until it is reduced by two-thirds. Add the butter and parsley and reduce for 5 more minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, then pour it over the artichokes and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Executive Chef Jason Berthold, Rn74, 301 Mission Street # Rn74, San Francisco, California 94105-6665, (415) 543-7474 | I Love Bacon! by Jayne Rockmill. Andrews McMeel, 2010

Fortunately, we are all safe and sound. 

Egg Central took a pounding from large hail. 

I'm pretty sure my First Up shelter is toast, ya think?

This is about 30 minutes afterward, they were bigger when the fell.

Having lived through this in 2002 I know that the roof of our house is totaled.  Another round is headed this way right now, just minutes away.

But given what hit Tuscaloosca today, what's going on in the rest of the world, I still feel lucky and fortunate.  Stay safe everyone.

makes two fougasses


500 grams flour
30 grams rye flour
20 grams yeast
50 ml olive oil
10 grams coarse salt
250 ml water
200 grams small pieces of bacon
150 grams Comté cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Lightly fry 200 grams small pieces of bacon, in 1 tablespoon olive oil. They should not be too brown because they will be cooked again in the oven. Leave to cool. In the bowl of a mixer pour: 250 ml water (warm), 10 grams coarse salt, 50 ml olive oil, then 30 grams rye flour and 500 grams flour, and finally 20 grams yeast. Knead for 6 minutes on low speed. Bring dough together into a ball, cover with a damp tea-towel, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 1 hour). Then cut dough into 2 lumps of same weight, roll each one into a ball. Roll out one ball into a large rectangle. Divide ¼ of the bacon over half the rectangle. Then cover with grated Comté. Make 3 slits with a sharp knife or dough cutter on the other half. With a brush, moisten the dough all around bacon so that it sticks well. Then fold dough over on itself. And press well all round edges to stick. Roll again gently to flatten. Add another ¼ of the bacon on top, and sprinkle again with grated Comté. Place fougasse on baking sheet, cover with a plastic sheet. Do the same thing with the remaining dough, and leave in a warm place to rise for one hour. Preheat the oven to 240°C or 464°F. Put in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, until fougasse is golden brown. If you use a conventional oven, leave it on the baking sheet, for a wood-fired oven, place directly on the floor, it will taste much better.


bacon recipe courtesy of: cooking-ez.com, October 13, 2010

2 cups leeks, 1/2 inch slices rinsed and cleaned white and light green bits only
6-8 strips of bacon, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 large loaf of Challah bread (about 10 cups), cut into 1" cubes
1-2 teaspoons fresh chives chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
a pinch of fresh nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon of less)
1 cup shredded emmenthaler or comte cheese

Place a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the bacon bits and leeks. Cook them gently for 2-3 minutes, until the leeks have softened. Reduce the heat to low, add the butter, some salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Allow the leeks and bacon to caramelize together over the heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The leeks will be very wilted and the bacon will be soft, but cooked through.

Meanwhile, if your bread is not a day-old, slightly stale loaf, now is a good time to toast the bread and dry it out - put it in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes and it'll be crispy, as though stale. Leave the oven on. When the leeks are cooked through and the bread is dried out nicely put them aside. Find the biggest bowl you have, add the bread cubes to that bowl, add the leeks/bacon saute mix, thyme, and chives to the bread cubes. Toss well.

In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, nutmeg, and some salt and pepper. Line a 13"x9" baking pan with some parchment paper, or at least grease it lightly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese into the bottom of the pan evenly. Spread 1/2 the bread mixture over the cheese, spread another 1/4 cup of cheese on this, then the other 1/2 of bread and another 1/4 cup of cheese.

Add enough of the milk/egg mixture to cover or nearly cover the bread. Press on this gently with your hands and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Pour the rest of the milk/egg mix over the bread, sprinkle it with some salt and the rest of the cheese. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 hours, until the top is a deep golden brown and bubbly.

Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes before eating. Eat it while it's still warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kathy Day, Kathy Can Cook | The Clean Plate Club, April 4, 2011

serves six


1 (16-ounce) bag of green split peas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, chopped into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium-sized white onion, chopped finely (about 1 cup)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 pieces of uncured nitrate/nitrite-free bacon, coarsely chopped
1 dried bay leaf
3 cups of chicken stock (see note below)
3 cups of water
1 and 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Place split peas in a small stockpot and cover with filtered water. Simmer for 25 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot and bacon for seven minutes on medium heat until softened and bacon is fragrant. Add garlic and stir for a minute or so. Add salt and curry and allow to fry for a minute, stirring occasionally.

Add in water, stock, peas, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor.

Check seasoning and add more salt if necessary. I usually add another quarter to half teaspoon at this point.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kari's Creations, December 2010

serves ten


300-400 gram piece of streaky smoked or unsmoked unsliced bacon
vegetable or corn oil for deep frying
100-150 grams of crab apple or apple sauce

Put the piece of bacon in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil then drain off the water and add some fresh cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour or so until the meat is very tender. Either leave to cool in the liquid or remove and leave to cool on a plate. Once cool cut the bacon into 2cm cubes. Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160-180C in a large thick-bottomed saucepan or electric deep fat fryer. Deep fry the bacon cubons for 3-4 minutes, turning the pieces with a slotted spoon while they are cooking, until crisp then transfer on to some kitchen paper. Spoon blobs of apple sauce on to a serving dish, skewer the bacon cubons and place on the apple.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Independent, Independent Print Limited, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF, December 4, 2010

On of the most hands on classes I've had, loved it.

George playing a loin back harmonica!  Kidding - juxtaposition.

makes about 20 cookies ... if you don't eat half the dough


1 1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup bacon grease
2 cups sugar
2 large beaten eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup plus extra for the candied bacon
2.5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
2 lbs bacon
1/2 cup white sugar for coating the dough balls

The Bacon: Line baking sheets with tin foil. Put racks on them, and lay out the bacon. It can overlap some, but not too much. Spread on a healthy amount of maple syrup, spreading it with a brush, if you have one. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Flip the bacon, spread on more maple syrup, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until perfectly crisp. Turn the oven offâ€"the dough will need to chill out in the fridge for a little bit.

The Grease: Pour about 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings into a measure cup, and set aside.

The Cookie Dough: Melt the butter in the microwave and mix it with the sugar in a large bowl. Let the mixture cool (Since the butter will probably still be warm) and add the beaten eggs. Add maple syrup, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Mix it all up.

The Bacon: Set aside about seven strips of bacon. Chop the other bacon up into smallish pieces. Mix chopped bacon into the dough. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour in the fridge. (Overnight is fine too.)

The Cookies: Roll the dough into walnut sized balls with your hands. Err on the side of small, because these fuckers will spread out, yo. Roll the balls in white sugar and place them on parchment lined cookie sheets, 12 to a standard sheet. Keep them at least an inch apart, but more if you have room to spare. They spread out and will mush together if you do what I did and put them too close together. Take your remaining bacon and cut it into half in pieces. Put a piece of bacon on the top of each cookie. Flatten them with a spatula or potato masher.

Put oven rack in the middle position. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on the cookie sheets while you clear off a place for the cookies to cool down further. You can shift the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and place it on, say, your washing machine, so you can reuse that cookie sheet.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Rose Meiri, Eat, Drink, and Be Meiri, December 20, 2010

serves six


1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 slice bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
7 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups dried lentils (about 12 1/2 ounces)
2 large fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions

Combine onion, celery, carrot, bacon and garlic in heavy Dutch oven. Stir over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover; add 7 cups broth, lentils, thyme and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

Transfer half of soup to processor; cool slightly. Puree until smooth. Return puree to Dutch oven. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine parsley and chives in small bowl. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle parsley mixture over and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bon Appétit, March 1996

The results were just okay.  It lacked the oomph! you expect from a curried dish.  I had such high hopes for it because the ingredients were fresh and some of my favorites (onion, cilantro, ginger, curry powder, garlic, red pepper, turmeric, etc).  It filled the house with the rich aroma.  But on the plate it just under-delivered.  It was too mild.  Sriracha helped doctor it up some. 

• Curry - The curry powder was brand new, so it wasn't that.  I wonder if curry paste would have been better.
• Chicken - The chicken thighs were less than perfect.  They were poorly trimmed and had excessive fat in them.  Plus I made matters worse by overcrowding the pan during the browning portion of the cook. Maybe I should have let the paste sit on the chicken for a while. 
• Coconut milk - I didn't use canned, I used the bottled coconut milk we had in the fridge.  I assumed it would be fresher and better.

Dead End BBQ 2011 Cooking Series

feeds three


1 reasonably large whole smoked eel
4¼ to 4½ pounds floury potatoes, such as Idaho russets, peeled and halved
sea salt
2½ cups milk
1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter plus an extra knob
freshly ground black pepper
6 thick slices of smoked streaky bacon

To prepare your eel, first lay it down with its back facing you. With a sharp knife cut behind its head until you feel the backbone, then run your knife along the bone to the tail. Turn over and repeat. To remove the skin simply slip your fingers under it and run gently along the fillet.

Cut both fillets into 3 pieces. (Smoked eel is also available packaged in fillets.)

Boil your potatoes until soft in salted water. Heat the milk and butter, then add to the drained potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper, remembering that the bacon is quite salty.

Heat a frying pan and add the knob of butter. Place your bacon slices in the pan and cook. Remove the bacon, keep it warm, and place the eel fillets in the pan, giving them a few moments’ cooking on either side in the butter and the fat the bacon should have released.

Serve the eel on a mound of mashed potatoes, topped with 2 slices of bacon, over which pour the remaining bacon and eel fat from the frying pan.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Fergus Henderson, The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating | Cookstr.com

yields four servings


1/2 pound bacon, chopped
6 ears young sweet corn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
salt
cayenne
2 cups chopped, peeled, and seeded tomatoes, or 1 cup chopped canned tomatoes
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped green onions

In a large skillet, over medium heat, render the bacon until crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside. Pour off all of the bacon fat except for 2 tablespoons. Cut the corn off the cob by thinly slicing across the tops of the kernels and then cutting across a second time to release the milk from the corn. Scrape the cob once or twice to extract the milk. You should have about 4 cups of corn with the milk. To the pan, over medium heat, add the oil, onions and bell peppers. Season with salt and cayenne. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the corn. Season with salt and cayenne. Continue to saute for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the corn is tender. Stir in the milk and remove from heat. Stir in the crispy bacon and green onions. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy: Emeril Lagasse, "Thanksgiving on the Side," Emeril Live, 1999

So here's how I made our hush puppies for the BBQ chicken dinner the other night.

 
Hush Puppies

1 3/4 cup white corn meal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Cruze Dairy Farms Buttermilk
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients together. 

Whisk milk and eggs together.   Whisk the milk mixture into the dry ingredients.

Preheat a deep fryer or a pan filled with 2-3 inches of oil to 350f.   Working in small batches (so you don't cool the oil down too much), carefully drop the batter into the oil in teaspoon sized portions. 

Cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes, flipping them to get all sides evenly cooked.  

Place on a rack over paper towels to drain.

Quicky Idea
Tonight was busy and chaotic, so we just grilled burgers.  I sliced 8 ounces of mushrooms and sauteed them 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  I added 3 cloves of chopped garlic, seasoned with some salt and sauteed another minute.  I divided that mixture, slices of swiss cheese, and stuffed it into four 6 ounce burgers.  Grilled at 400f for 5 minutes per side. 


Frigginawesome. 

serves four


For Soup:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Guinness beer or another stout, preferably more for drinking
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 pound shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8 clices thick-cut bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp

For Garlic Croutons:
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound loaf focaccia or any crusty bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For soup: In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, taking great care not to let it burn. Add the butter and when it melts, stir in the onion and celery and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir well, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the beer and bring to a simmer. Scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and continue to cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the stock, cream, and dry mustard and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure a smooth soup. When the soup is smooth and simmering steadily, whisk in the cheese until melted. Stir in the Worcestershire.

For croutons (makes about 4 cups, you'll only use 2 cups for the soup preparation): Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, Parmesan, and garlic. Add the thyme and rosemary and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the bread cubes and toss gently to coat. Spread the bread cubes in a baking dish, leaving a little space between the cubes. Bake, stirring several times to ensure even browning, for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Transfer the croutons to a cool plate or pan and let cool to room temperature. Store in a tightly lidded container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

To serve: ladle the soup into 4 soup bowls and garnish with the bacon and croutons. Serve with cold Guinness to drink.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Steak with Friends: At Home, with Rick Tramonto by Rick Tramonto and Mary Goodbody. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2010

serves six


1 3/4lb waxy potatoes, parboiled and sliced - no need to peel
4 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
4oz smoked streaky bacon, derinded and chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp grain mustard
5fl oz dry white wine
4oz crème fraîche
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Lightly oil a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Heat the oil and cook the leeks and bacon until leeks are soft. Add the wine and reduce. Take off the heat and stir in mustard and herbs. Season well. Make a layer of 1/3 of the potatoes in the tin. Cover with half the leek mixture. Repeat above. Finish with a final layer of potatoes on top. Spread over the crème fraîche. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the cake is golden and piping hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: BBC Food

FOR CRUST:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

FOR GLUTEN-FREE CRUST:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (please check label to make sure it is gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon brown rice flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour a.k.a Mochiko
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

FOR BACON CARAMEL PECAN TOPPING:
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup of coarsely crumbled thick-cut bacon
3 cups toasted pecans
coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl or Kitchenaid, cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg and vanilla and beat for one minute. Add baking powder and flour(s) (and xanthan gum if preparing gluten-free) until everything is well mixed and has formed a cookie dough. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Press cookie dough mixture evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown (see picture below). Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in a large sauce pan or pot. Cook over medium-high heat stirring it occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. When the sugar/water/corn syrup mixture begins to change to an amber like color (like a dark honey) immediately turn off heat. Carefully add vanilla and heavy cream stirring (add bourbon for optional variation) until smooth and looks like caramel sauce. Add toasted pecans and bacon stirring and coating everything. Spread bacon caramel pecan mixture over the cookie crust evenly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until cold. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt sparingly and cut into bars/squares.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Alice, Savory Sweet Life, September 8, 2009

What comes to mind when you think of big, organized (or semi-organized) cookouts? 

I think of "roadside chicken" which is a tangy grilled chicken.  It's what is often served at BBQ fundraisers for churches and youth organizations.

makes four sandwiches


1 can (13.8 oz) refrigerated classic pizza crust
8 slices uncooked bacon
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup apricot preserves
6 oz thinly sliced roast turkey breast (from deli)
4 to 5 oz Brie cheese, cut into 4 slices
parsley sprigs, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough in pan; press dough to edges of pan. Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, turning once, until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. In small bowl, make apricot aioli by stirring mayonnaise and preserves until well mixed. Set aside. Cut pizza crust in half crosswise to make 2 rectangles. Remove rectangles from pan; spread half of the apricot aioli evenly over each rectangle. Top 1 rectangle evenly with turkey, bacon and cheese. Add other rectangle, aioli side down. Cut large sandwich in half crosswise; cut each in half diagonally to make 4 sandwiches. Heat 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet. Place smaller skillet or saucepan on sandwiches to flatten slightly; keep skillet on sandwiches while cooking. Cook 1 to 4 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. Remove from skillet; cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches. Garnish with parsley sprigs.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kim Frantz, Denver, Colorado, Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest 43, 2008

Fire Day Friday



Easter Ham 

1. In a medium bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and mix well.
2. Double a large piece of aluminum foil and place the ham, flat side down, in the center of the doubled foil. Pour ½ cup of the glaze mix on top of the ham and spread it evenly over the entire ham. Wrap the aluminum foil tight over the ham and seal it.
3. Prepare an outdoor charcoal grill for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. When the grill reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit, place the wrapped ham on the void side of the grill and close the lid. Cook for three hours or until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Remove the ham from the cooker, unwrap the foil, and place the ham in the center of a baking pan. Pour the remaining glaze over the top of the ham and spread it evenly. Place the ham back on the grill, close the lid, and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the glaze firms. Remove the ham from the grill and serve.

Recipe created by champion pitmaster, Chris Lilly, on behalf of Kingsford® charcoal.  Reprinted with permission from Kingsford charcoal.