Let's Talk about Bacon

There isn't much to say that is negative about good bacon.

Note the qualifier there. Not all bacon is good bacon. (And artificial bacon, whether made of turkey, soy, or into Bac~Os, is not bacon at all.)

As with many things in life, moderation is key. The bacon tray at the buffet (the one full of rashers and tongs with which to grab as much as you like of the dry, crumbly stuff that was baked long ago and far away and only recently reheated in the hotel kitchen) is really tempting, but it isn't worth it. It might leave a bacony taste in your mouth, but don't.
Just don't.

Perhaps it is best if we consider bacon a flavor, an ingredient, rather than a food. Let the bacon raise the flavor profile. Think of all the elements that come to the plate with this one ingredient:  salt, smoke, fat, umami, crunch, unctuous goodness. (Sorry Huffington Post, there's no other word that gets there.)

With that in mind, let us begin at the beginning.

When we begin with bacon, is is good to find the best source. Stop there for a moment, and bow in the direction of Madisonville, TN. Alan Benton makes the best bacon in America that I know about. There are others, of course, including Dakin Farm in Ferrisburgh, VT, but they source their meat from away, which means that it's probably grown on factory farms and shipped to them where they smoke it. That's what I use, though, since it is right around the corner.

This is how it works here. Since rashers are off-menu, there isn't any need to buy strips if we don't need strips. Fortunately, Dakin Farm offers an alternative that makes our objective slightly more affordable. Ends and pieces. We never know what we're going to get, but that's OK, it balances out over time. Here's what was in that package.

If we were to lay that out on the sheet tray and bake it (which is what we are going to do) as is, our product would be as randomized as, well, Ends an Pieces. That's why we chop. I believe the term is "matchstick." Wrangle a few pieces that might be cuttable together and cut across to make bits that look like this.

Into a 350F oven for 15 minutes, then mix and flip with a spatula, spin and back in for another 15 and this is what we get. Pour off the fat into the handy bacon fat jar and then portion into vacuum-sealed bags. Since we use plenty of bacon around here, our portions are 250g, and frozen.

We also keep a container in the fridge at all times (that gets refilled from the aforementioned bags). These little strips of goodness are ever so useful.

Oh, bacon, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways. Start with "healthy." A few bits on a salad is nice. Avocado toast? Absolutely! With lettuce and tomato on a toast with a bit of mayo is good, too. See, all of those are more or less healthy.

From there the possibilities become nearly limitless. Fabled in story and song and Oscar®-winning film, as well. As in, "Liberty Bell, if you put one more Bac~O on that potato I'm gonna kick your little monkey butt." (We will, however, acknowledge that Bac~Os, made by the Betty Crocker company, contain no bacon at all.)

Put bacon on your potatoes, yes, but also on your maple donuts, in your scrambled eggs, and where you will, but for the love of all that is holy to you, use good bacon.