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Candied Bacon

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I know you all are going to think I have completely gone off the deep end this time in my search for new and interesting things to do with piloncillo, but trust me, you have to try this. Candied bacon is great on its own, but try serving it with pancakes, over dulce de leche ice cream, on a fresh green salad, or as a tasty garnish for roasted squab.

Ingredients:

250 grams thickly sliced bacon (about ½ pound)
½ cup grated piloncillo, firmly packed

Preparation:

There are two methods for preparing candied bacon, each with it's benefits and drawbacks:

Method 1

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it is just starting to get some color, but is still limp, about 3 minutes per side. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Pour out all excess fat from your skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Return bacon to skillet and sprinkle with piloncillo. Continue to cook the bacon, turning occasionally until the sugar dissolves and caramelizes and the bacon turns crisp, about 10 minutes. Watch the bacon closely and further reduce the heat if necessary, because the line between caramelized sugar and burned sugar is a pretty thin one.

When your bacon is done (it will look dark and lacquered), transfer to paper or a brown paper bag to drain and cool. Do not use paper towels because they will stick to the bacon, and paper towels are not very tasty or pretty. When the bacon has cooled enough for sugar to harden, serve.

Method 2

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a cookie sheet with foil and place an oiled baking rack on top.

Separate the slices of bacon and toss in a bowl with the piloncillo until the bacon slices are well coated. Place bacon slices on the oiled baking rack. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the sugar is melted. You will need to watch the bacon closely after 10 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and let cool until the sugar has hardened. You may want to nudge the bacon around a little with tongs while it cools to prevent sticking. Serve.

Serves: 10 - 12 pieces
Prep time: 20-25 minutes

You can read the original post here: Candied Bacon...Yes, Really!.

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Last Updated on Friday, 09 April 2010 10:30  

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