Bacon is a Hot, Sizzling Tasty Trend

Bacon is Boss

As the sexy ’80s commercial says, we want to bring home “the bacon” and fry it up in a pan. Some of us mean it literally, as in all we really want is bacon fried up in a pan. But when mainstream Americans are orchestrating over-the-top bacon-themed wedding bliss and the guy in line next to you is snorting up the “wake up and smell the bacon” app on his smartphone like some kind of drug and prime time TV time slots are stuffed with commercials for edible bowls made out of bacon, you realize that bacon is big and it is back. Well, it’s backfat, actually. The point is, there is a bacon bonanza going on and it makes some of us just want to squeal for joy! In honor of International Bacon Day (Aug. 31, 2014), we raise our bottle of bacon soda (yes, we said bacon soda), in celebration of all things bacon.

Bacon is a meat product prepared from a pig — usually from the side and back cuts of pork except in the United States, where it is almost always prepared from pork belly (typically referred to as “fatty” or “American style” outside of the U.S.). It is usually cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or by a dry packing process; the result is fresh bacon (also known as green bacon). Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air.

Meat from other animals, such as beef, lamb, chicken, goat or turkey, may also be cut, cured or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon, and may even be referred to as “bacon.” But for the purist, the USDA defines bacon as “the cured belly of a swine carcass.” Yes, it’s Porky Pig, folks.Bacon may be eaten smoked, boiled, fried, baked or grilled, or used as a minor ingredient to flavor dishes. Bacon is also used for barding (cooking meats with bacon) and larding (weaving bacon through meats) roasts, especially game, including venison and pheasant. The word is derived from the Old High German bacho, meaning “buttock,” “ham” or “side of bacon,” and cognate with the Old French bacon.

For the health conscious food shopper, bacon isn’t likely the first thing on your grocery list. But if you like to bet, pork bellies is not a bad one. Bacon alone is so high in demand it has put pork on the market map, so to speak. With bacon practically a delicacy, prices have soared, but it’s still a bargain when you consider its flavor boosting power. And with low-sodium, veggie versions and lean cuts weighing in at just 39 calories per slice, even dieters can dine on swine and not sweat it.

Top 10 Reasons Why Bacon Is Best for You

You’ve seen the commercials demanding us to “Eat more chicken”
and asking “Where’s the beef?” and “Got milk?” Well, maybe it’s time
to pour on the praise for pork by cheering for the benefits of bacon.
Here is a list of 10 reasons why bacon is actually healthy for you!

• Protein Power: The protein found in bacon is extremely valuable to maintaining energy levels and a fully functioning, healthy body, with a minimum of the c-word, carbohydrates.
• Bacon’s Blood-Balancing Bounty: Several university and medical center studies have shown that bacon eaten in moderation actually can lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helping to prevent and/or alleviate the effects of diabetes, as well as heart disease, stroke and heart attack. 
• Just the Fat Ma’am: Bacon helps to fully satiate our appetite with high protein/low carb energy, helping the body lose weight, raise one’s metabolism and build leaner, stronger muscles. In fact, bacon actually has less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than many popular cuts of beef and chicken. While some fish has less fat and cholesterol than bacon, bacon has more protein power and does not contain toxins such as mercury. 
• Bacon on the Brain: Bacon is brimming with an important nutrient called “choline,” which helps increase our intelligence and memory. University studies show that as we age, the properties of bacon help fight off the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic mental impairments.
• Pig Out … It’s Good For You: Bacon provides substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function healthfully, including 65 percent of our recommended daily intake of thiamin, 47 percent of our niacin, 38 percent of B12, 36 percent of zinc, 24 percent of vitamin B6, 22 percent of our riboflavin, 22 percent of phosphorus, 10 percent of pantothenate, 10 percent of magnesium and 9 percent of iron. Plus, the protein to fat balance in bacon is actually 4 to 1, which is one of the highest protein to fat balances found in most meat, fish or fowl.
• Bacon Bliss: Bacon makes you feel happy, satisfied, blissful, which greatly reduces stress.
• Nix the Nitrates and Nitrites: The fact is, while it is true that nitrates and nitrites are unhealthy for your body, they are easily avoided by simply not burning, charring or over cooking your bacon and by baking your strips in the oven.
• Bacon Power: If we have veggie cabs right here on the EC, can bacon buses be far behind? In the UK, TMI foods has figured out how to use bacon fat to manufacture a powerful, low emission, environmentally friendly, all-natural, bio-diesel fuel that can be used to run everything from motor vehicles to turbines effectively and inexpensively. 
• Better with Bacon: Think of all the healthy food you can’t wait to tuck in to when it’s wrapped in bacon, sprinkled with bacon or topped with bacon. 
• Bacon ⁄ Our Heart: Several studies show that the omega-3 fatty acids and “choline” found in bacon can actually protect the heart from developing detrimental problems, as well as actually help heal such anomalies after they have occurred.

Source bacontoday.com.

Matt Burke

Bacon Maple Ice Cream Homemade ice cream flavored with Nueske’s thick cut apple wood smoked bacon and Vermont maple syrup

Jackacudas Bacon Maple Ice Cream

Courtesy Chef Chris Fortner
Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, Destin

Ingredients:

1 cup Vermont grade A maple syrup

4 cup organic whole milk

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

5 organic egg yolks

½ lb. Nueske’s thick cut apple wood smoked bacon

Procedure:

In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, reduce the maple syrup by half and hold. Over moderate heat in a medium saucepan, heat the milk with ½ cup granulated sugar until hot and just bubbling around the edges.
In a bowl, whisk the yolks with ½ cup sugar, then add 1 cup of hot milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture back into pot and heat over moderate heat stirring constantly until the mixture reaches around 170° (do not boil!).
Strain mixture and stir in maple syrup, chill overnight. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange bacon slices next to each other and bake until crispy. Drain the fat away, chop bacon into small pieces.
Place the remaining sugar in a saucepan and heat over moderate heat. Stir with a fork until all the sugar is melted and golden caramel color is reached. Stir in the bacon to coat.
Pour the caramelized bacon onto a sheet tray and allow time to harden. After bacon hardens and cools, chop fine. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker (20–30 minutes), while incorporating the candied bacon at the last minutes and churn all together until well combined. Scoop and enjoy or transfer into an airtight container and freeze.

Best Bacon Bites for B, L & D

Must-fry menu items around town

Bacon is not just for breakfast anymore. From casual to fine-dining restaurants to upscale retail and quick-stop convenient shops, tasty bacon bites await all along the Emerald Coast.

Matt Burke

Big Daddy Burger with bacon, cheddar cheese and jalapeno (as featured on the Food Network)

McGuire’s Irish Pub, Destin and Pensacola

Courtesy Another Broken Egg of America

Eggs Blackstone featuring Applewood smoked bacon 

Another Broken Egg, Destin, Miramar Beach and soon-to-open Grand Boulevard

Shelly Swanger

Fried Oyster BLT 

Vintij Wine Boutique, Miramar Beach

Tommy Crow (Bacon Platter), Jacqueline Ward Images (Marina Café Pizza)

Bacon Sampler Platter

Three flavor-infused gourmet bacon bites of the chef’s
choosing from chicory to rosemary 

The Pearl Hotel’s Havana Beach Restaurant, Rosemary Beach

Pizza Featuring

Artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, roasted sweet peppers and smoked bacon
Marina Café in Destin

Scott Holstein

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with Bacon 

Cabana Café in Seascape Resort, Miramar Beach

GREAT SOUTHERN CAFÉ

Bacon and Pecan Waffle

With chopped bacon and local pecans 
Great Southern Café in Seaside