Double-Smoked Bacon
Remember Y2K? I’ll never forget it thanks to my friend’s mother and her emergency bacon.
When that ridiculous fear frenzy took place back in 1999, swarms of panic-ridden people scrambled to the stores like lemmings, bulking up on all manner of supplies. Staple items ranging from water to gasoline and god knows what else sold like crazy.
My friend’s mother, an avid foodie, had a different idea of what to stock up on: she decided that 25 pounds of bacon would be far more essential for survival (along with a case of gin). What can one say, the woman possessed a peculiar yet admirable sense of practicality…
Of course, the highly-anticipated cataclysm of Y2K never took place and my friend’s mom ended up with a mammoth amount of charcuterie in her freezer. But none of it went to waste, of course (nor did the gin).
Her actions may have seemed strange, but quite frankly, whatever possessed her to do this struck a cord with me that still resonates: Bacon is not an option, it is an absolute necessity to living a meaningful gastronomic existence.
Which brings me to this pork-belly-divinity: double-smoked bacon.
I was lucky enough to cook and try double-smoked bacon in the very first restaurant I worked in. It came in small 2-3 pound slabs and proved perfect for lardons, crisp and chewy at the same time, full of intense smokiness, fatty but not overly-greasy. Thick slices were rendered out for flavoring vegetables, legumes and soups. Couldn’t make the sherry-bacon butter sauce without it.
Double-smoked bacon is exactly what it sounds like, it is pork belly that has been smoked twice. As a result, it has a much lower water content than regular bacon, which gives it a more dense and chewier texture. Not really ideal for large strips to eat with your fried eggs in the morning, but cut into small pieces, its perfect. The fat is great to save too, as with all bacon. For the most part, I would argue that its primary purpose is to add flavor to dishes. Last night I rendered out a small amount to cook some fresh cranberry beans, and we actually ended up eating the cooking liquid like a soup as the bacon had added so much flavor. This bacon, like any other bacon, works well in a multitude of dishes, like my purple peruvian fingerlings recipe.
So where does one acquire double-smoked bacon? Well, until I get over the fear of setting off the fire alarm in my building by using my own smoker (which I have yet to buy), I will always buy mine from Schaller & Weber, a fabulous German butcher on the Upper East Side in New York City. Unfortunately, I don’t get the chance to venture there very often, but when I do, I always pick up a piece of the double-smoked wonder. I’ve yet to see it made by another company. Like I said however, I look forward to making my own one day.
2 comments
I agree, no life would be complete w/o bacon. What about fat back though, what do you think of that?
@Tuggie: Wow, I haven’t seen or used fatback in years. Last time I worked with fatback was to make some cracklings for a pork special, years ago, before that, I used it in culinary school. Great stuff though, important for charcuterie and flavor, no doubt. I’m glad you reminded me of it, it should be used more often.
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