Bakin' Bacon Recipe

Gets even better w/ poached eggs, buttery biscuits and Mimosas

I'm a bacon fanatic. Certainly, I am not reinventing the wheel with this declaration, but facts is facts. Bacon is a big part of my life, and over the years I've tinkered with many a bacon recipe, from frying it in cast-iron (deliciously greasy, but time consuming and messy) to microwaving (quick and easy, but too dry and often inconsistently cooked) so when I stumbled across this very cool recipe for baked bacon, I just had to give it a try. What intrigued me most about this version of baking bacon in the oven was that the author recommends starting the process in a cold oven, which if you think about it, makes total sense in that it facilitates a slower, more even cooking process from start to finish.

So, New Year's Day became all about baking bacon.

According to the directions, I started by wrapping a large ridged sheet pan in heavy duty foil. Then, I laid out all the bacon side by side. I recommend using quality thick-cut bacon for this recipe. Next, I popped the whole shebang into the oven (center rack) and THEN cranked the heat up to 400 degrees. You must be sure to put the bacon into a cold oven. P.S. If you're really feeling creative, at this point you can also drizzle bacon with molasses or sprinkle it with brown sugar and cayenne pepper before roasting it in the oven for additional flavor. (Thanks Karol Thompkins!)

Next, I roasted the bacon for approximately 20-24 minutes. Obviously, oven temps vary depending on the make, model, age and accuracy of your particular oven, but I ended up somewhere in that time range. Also, about three-quarters through the cooking process, I flipped the bacon over to promote more even cooking. One thing I did notice of culinary note is if your oven is a bit cockeyed (or perhaps the floors of your kitchen slope as mine do) the bacon resting in the rendered fat will cook faster than the rest of the meat. With this in mind, I recommend turning your pan at least once during the cooking process. This should be your end result:

After your bacon is done the way you like it, remove it to drain on paper towels (be sure to save your grease for making cornbread). Once the pan has cooled, simply ball up the foil and toss it away for easy clean-up.

Serve up your bacon with your favorite accoutrements. Store any leftover cooked bacon in ziplock bags in the fridge for BLT's, biscuit sandwiches or nibbling.

©2011 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Homemade Sausage Egg McMuffin Recipe

I woke up this morning craving grease. Perhaps it was that extra cocktail I had last night, but for whatever reason, I just had get my hands on a cholesterol-laden breakfast sandwich. Let me begin this with a full confession-- I have eaten a McDonalds Sausage McMuffin with Egg before, so let's get that one out in the open, and believe me, I am fully aware of the pink goo controversy as well as the chain restaurant's penchant for frying potatoes in beefy flavored oil. However, sometimes on rare occasion, I just don't feel like making breakfast for myself so I've hopped into my Honda and driven the full half mile to the Mickey D's for a McMuffin. Lazy, unhealthy and contributing to all that's wrong in the food world. I know.

So, this morning, I set out to make my own version and what a treat it was. I started by pan frying some Aidell's Sausage with Roasted Garlic and Gruyere along with an organic brown egg....

Then, I toasted up an English muffin....

Then, I stacked it up with a small slice of American cheese (for full Mickey D's effect, of course)...

...and, Voila! Runny egg, meets runny processed cheese in toasty, sausagy heaven.

©2011 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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A Little Preview of Selba Richmond

So, I'm kinda digging Richmond's latest dining addition Selba housed in the old Cliff's Honda space on West Cary. Owner Todd Boyd, a dear friend of mine from back in my Cafines days, invited me and Tim to a little shindig last night to show off his latest pride and joy, and who are we to pass up a perfectly decent party on earthquake day?

After a glass of Champagne, we decided to check out the new digs, which include several separate dining areas (this place is big), a bar, and this super cool atrium-type spot with hanging Tiffany lamps and a lush indoor garden.

This room is simply made for brunch, and according to Selba's menu that's exactly what's on tap complete with live piano music and a Bloody Mary menu. Omelets with Sausage Craft Chorizo, lemon ricotta honey pancakes with local honey, house smoked bacon and homemade granola are some of goods that will be offered.

Looks like dinner will consist of an array of small plates as well as full entrees and definitely reflect the fresh/local approach-- summer corn soup with VA lump crab, Buffalo Creek beef brisket with tamarind glaze, "Airline" [sic] chicken breast with roasted apples, squash casserole with local veggies...you get the idea. The wine list is definitely well-thought out and the elongated bar will prove to be a fun spot late night.

The party itself was a good time, and steamship round was particularly tasty and meaty as were the housemade crackers.

All in all, the addition of Selba to the revitalization of this section of Cary Street is nothing but a positive for Richmond. Hopefully, future restauranteurs will follow suit to help get this area up and running.  Pin It Now!