OK, I’ll admit my obsession is not unique.
LOTS of people are addicted to bacon...
Meaty, salty, fatty, smoky... makes complete sense, right?
A strange confluence drove me to take my obsession one step further. Years ago, during one of the periodic clean-out/give-away events at the magazine, there was an indoor smoker. Boy, did I want it.
But in an uncharacteristically generous moment I didn’t just grab it. Not long after, there was a second round of giveaways... and it was still there. And still, I walked past it.
But third's the charm...
In the intervening years, I’ve smoked salt, paprika, cheese, fish, and chicken. And with great success, if I do say so myself. And I do.
Then, this Christmas, my friend Deb sent me a kit that included curing salt and a heavy plastic bag in which to cure pork belly.
AND THEN...
A guest chef in the test kitchen left behind a 4-pound pork belly, which was soon placed in my greedy hands by my adored colleagues.
I rushed home... peeled off the skin... rubbed in the cure... bagged the belly... and put it in the fridge... turned it once a day for 7 days...
And on the 7th day, I did not rest. I rinsed, dried, and let it sit in the fridge uncovered for 4 hours, then smoked it in my indoor smoker with hickory chips. And this morning, I froze it for about half an hour. So I could slice it easily...
Sliced it...
And, Dear Reader, I must now confess: I have forever ruined store-bought bacon for myself.
This was a Bacon Fever Dream! I wanted to slice the rest and eat all 4 pounds.
Don’t worry, I didn’t.
But once I'd tasted it, seriously, there was no going back. Salt. Campfire. Actual pork flavor.
As they say... died and gone to heaven?