Pig candy and other bacon indulgences

I was introduced to pig candy last week. My, oh my, why have I not had this before!

It’s a thick-sliced bacon that has been cooked with sugar and a spice or two until golden brown and yummy. Think of it as regular bacon with a sweet side, to go along with the smoky saltiness you expect from bacon.

To really recreate what I had eaten, I purchased a package of thick sliced bacon. In this case, the slices were half an inch thick, though I’m sure you can use regular bacon, or so-called thick bacon, which is still far thinner than the 1half-inch-thick stuff.

The thick bacon does put off a lot of grease. I found I would have preferred to cook it on a broiling pan or some sort of baking rack where the pieces could still hold flat. I would not cook it in a frying pan, as the sugar would get spilled off when you flip the bacon over to cook the other side.

The bacon does turn out to be very rich, though a thinner slice would be less so. I was thinking about how I would prefer to have it served to me if it were some sort of appetizer. I was thinking of some sort of spicy mustard, a tangy blue cheese dressing, or even orange slices, to help cut the richness of the dish.

PIG CANDY

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound thick-cut bacon

1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Lay bacon strips on a wire rack set inside a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle 2/3 of the brown sugar mixture on top of the bacon strips. Place in the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sugar has melted completely and the bacon has gained some color. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately lift up the caramelized bacon slices with a spatula before the sugar hardens again. Best eaten while still warm.

BACON SHRIMP

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into thin strips

3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 pounds thick-cut bacon

Cut the jalapeño peppers into thin strips. Place a strip or two of jalapeño pepper and cheddar cheese inside each shrimp. Sprinkle the stuffed shrimp with garlic powder and seasoned salt. Wrap each shrimp with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill 10 to 15 minutes, or until firm.

BACON ROLL-UPS

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon milk

1 loaf sliced white bread

1 pound sliced bacon

Mix cream cheese, garlic salt, mayonnaise, and milk thoroughly. Beat until smooth. Trim crusts from bread and cut slices in half. Cut bacon slices in half. Spread bread slices with cream cheese mixture. Roll each slice. Roll bacon piece around bread and use a toothpick to hold together. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bacon is done.

CREAMY BACON DIP

1 pound bacon

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Let bacon drain on paper towels and cool. In a medium size mixing or serving bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream. Crumble bacon into the sour cream and mayonnaise mixture. Mix tomatoes in just before serving.