Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes (43 page)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus butter for greasing the baking pan

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the baking pan

5 slices maple-flavored or applewood-smoked bacon, diced

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons bourbon

1½ teaspoons maple or pure vanilla extract

¾ cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 medium-size Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced (about 1 cup)

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons heavy (whipping) cream or half-and-half

¼ cup lightly toasted coarsely chopped pecans (see
page 264
)

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter an 8- inch-square baking pan and dust it with flour, knocking out the excess flour.

2
Cook the bacon in a medium-size skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer or in a large mixing bowl and beat with a standing mixer or a hand-held mixer at medium speed until well creamed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the bourbon, and the maple or vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the buttermilk and beat until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl. The buttermilk mixture will appear curdled.

4
Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture, one half at a time, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Stir the apple and all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the drained bacon into the batter, setting aside the remaining bacon for topping the coffee cake.

5
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake the coffee cake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the coffee cake to a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, invert the coffee cake onto the rack so that it is right side up and let it cool to room temperature before glazing it.

6
While the coffee cake cools, place the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream or half-and-half, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of bourbon in a medium-size mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Place the cooled cake on a serving platter and sprinkle the pecans and the remaining bacon over it. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze back and forth over the pecans and bacon. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before cutting the coffee cake into 2-inch squares. The coffee cake can be stored in a covered container for 2 to 3 days.

Appendix:

Really Good Bacon

Here are a few of the more than twenty-five brands of bacons we used when testing our recipes. Those that aren’t available in major supermarkets almost always have websites where you can place an order and have their wonderful bacon delivered right to your door. You may expect to pay a premium for these super bacons and a minimum order is sometimes required, but to our way of thinking, it’s worth it.

Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams

2603 Highway 411 North

Madisonville, Tennessee 37354-6356

(423) 442-5003

bentonscountryhams2.com

Allan Benton says that the book
Pig Perfect
(full disclosure: written by Peter Kaminsky) changed his farming life. Benton’s bacon, made from heritage-breed pigs, has more of the intramuscular fat that’s needed when smoking so that the pork meat doesn’t become overly dry and tough. Allan sent us several packages of bacon for testing and tasting, and before we opened a package we could smell the smoke. His bacon is mostly made with hickory with a touch of applewood, and Allan says chefs love to pair it with all kinds of foods. Because of its intensity you need only a small piece to make a big impression in a dish. Allan recommends not cooking the bacon too crisply. He says packages can be refrigerated for several months without freezing.

Allan’s bacon is one of our favorites. We made Bucatini all’Amatriciana (
page 183
); Baked Eggs with Spinach, Bacon, and Salsa (
page 253
); and Bacon, Sweet Potato, and Greens Stuffing with Jalapeño Corn Bread (
page 244
) with Benton’s bacon.

Broadbent’s

257 Mary Blue Road

Kuttawa, Kentucky 42055

(800) 841-2202

broadbenthams.com

While the company was founded in 1909, Broadbent’s current owners have been in charge since 1999. Its bacon has a deep red meat color and a little more fat in proportion to the meat than the average bacon. It is also a little thicker than commercially produced bacons. In flavor its salty hamminess brings to mind English or Irish bacon, made from the loin. For us the strong saltiness meant less of this bacon was needed for some recipes. However, the amount of salt varies from one kind of bacon to another. Broadbent’s applewood-smoked, dry-cured country bacon, cured with salt, sugar, and sodium nitrate, was not as salty. The flavor was very good, quite intense. We love this bacon and used it to make a cauliflower-onion-tomato bake (
page 206
).

Broadbent’s offers a variety of bacons featuring such flavor-boosting ingredients as cinnamon or sun-dried tomatoes. It makes a dry-cured nitrate-free bacon with salt and sugar and also hickory-smoked, applewood-smoked, and maple-flavored bacons.

Our favorite is Broadbent’s hickory-smoked pepper bacon, made with salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, and pepper. It’s fantastic, with a strong smoky taste. Throw it in a pan with a little olive oil and then sauté a bunch of fresh vegetables. Or microwave it until it just begins to crisp, then chop it into ½-inch pieces and toss these with greens, chopped fennel, ripe tomatoes, and red onion. In both of these dishes the bacon adds an element of fat, salt, smokiness, and a distinctive peppery taste—four strong seasoners in one ingredient. You can’t beat that. Try it with Broccoli Rabe with Bacon and Garlic (
page 201
) or Garlicky Rosemary Bacon and Kale (
page 211
).

Caw Caw Creek

709 Woodrow Street #220

Columbia, South Carolina 29205

(803) 255-0112

[email protected]

Emile DeFelice, owner of Caw Caw Creek, was a major character in
Pig Perfect
(by Peter Kaminsky) and is known for his pastured pork. He is one of the pioneers of the artisanal food and farming movement in his native South Carolina. Many of his hogs roam the woods of his South Carolina farm, foraging for acorns just like the famed Ibérico hogs of Spain. This produces a most succulent, flavorful fat. Emile’s thick-cut bacon is dry-cured in sugar and salt and smoked; he uses no preservatives. The bacon is simple, straightforward, old-fashioned, and a testament to the truth that if you use the best ingredients you will get a superior product. Try it in our Butternut Squash Soup (
page 53
). Emile’s bacon and full line of pork products are available online.

Dreymiller and Kray

140 South State Street

Hampshire, Illinois 60140

(847) 683-2271

dreymillerandkray.com

A small company in Hampshire, Illinois, with a big reputation, Dreymiller and Kray has been making great hickory-smoked bacon since 1929. In 2011 it launched the supernal Goose Island Matilda Beer bacon. Dreymiller and Kray start with pork bellies that are massaged and tumbled in a beer brine (which doesn’t sound half bad for anybody’s belly). Then the pork bellies are brick-house-smoked over mild, fruity applewood. “You can smell the applewood smoke and the beer together in the smokehouse,” says owner and president Ed Reiser. We found Dreymiller and Kray’s to be more heavily salted than other bacons. You can purchase the bacon online or at the retail store Dreymiller and Kray. Try this bacon in our Bacon Brisket and Beer Chili (
page 107
).

Flying Pigs Farm

246 Sutherland Road

Shushan, New York 12873

(518) 854-3844

flyingpigsfarm.com

One of the pioneers raising free-range heritage-breed pigs, Flying Pigs Farm, in upstate New York, is one of the favorite purveyors at New York City farmers’ markets. It’s the type of local supplier that you will find at farmers’ markets around the country, and we urge you to try the meats from these farms. They can be your best source for bacon. While you’re at it, also try the fresh pork and smoked hams they sell. Flying Pigs Farm’s bacon was delicious in our Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Shrimp, and Bell Peppers (
page 96
).