Bacon

Who doesn't love bacon?  Really, out of all of my years as an innkeeper, I have never met anyone who didn't like bacon.  The only time I have seen bacon come back uneaten on a plate is when there is a little fatty part at the end that wasn't crisp and someone didn't want that fat to touch their lips.  Even Jewish folks, who are supposed to abstain from pork products, now and then will guiltily agree to have one slice of bacon.

Bacon goes with everything, like a string of pearls or a white chef's coat.  Put bacon next to the simplest of products and both the bacon and the product rise up a couple of notches.  The classic BLT is a perfect example as are bacon and eggs.  A bacon-maple glaze on a doughnut elevates the pedestrian (although still delicious) fried dough to new heights.  Bacon with all manner of protein = very tasty.  Crumbled, cubed, in strips, slow-cooked in a stew, there is no bad way to prepare bacon.

There are many schools of bacon theory.  The current school of thought is "thicker is better."  While this theory may hold up in other realms, in my opinion it doesn't always work with bacon.  Yes, thicker bacon sometimes is smoked in different ways and often times has a lot of flavor.  But it just doesn't get as crisp as skinny bacon.  I love skinny, crisp bacon.  Oscar Mayer's bacon is fine with me.  Yes, Applewood Smoked Hickory Thick Cut Extra Meaty is great, too, don't get me wrong.  But biting into a thin piece of bacon, feeling it almost shatter into crisp bits under your teeth, ah, now that is a slice of heaven.  Or pig.  Or both.  The heavenly pig.  Thanks, pigs!