Sweet and Spicy Bacon

bacon

Now I'm not a big meat eater, but I will tell you that I have a weakness for bacon! Why is it so good???

This post has two things: a recipe for sweet and spicy bacon as well as two ways to make bacon in the oven.

I really like cooking bacon in the oven because when I make it on the stove it spatters everywhere and I have to continue to turn it.  I know.... woe is me, but if it can be made easier, why not?

So I did a very intricate and difficult experiment.  Baking half of the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and then baking the other half on a metal cooling rack placed over the lined baking sheet.  Either way works great, but I found that using the cooling rack made for crispier bacon, which I am a fan of!

The idea for the sweet and spicy bacon was inspired by a Cobb Salad that I had at a restaurant at the Bay Lake Tower Hotel in Disney World.  The added layers of flavor made the salad so much more interesting and enhanced the other ingredients.  I figured I could make it at home too!

Here's what you need:

1 package (about 8-10 slices) of nitrate-free bacon (organic if you can find it)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how much spice you like; if you like it spicy add the entire teaspoon)

bacon

How to make it:

*Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

*Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a metal cooling rack over the baking sheet (if using)

*Mix the brown sugar and cayenne pepper together until well combined

*Place the bacon flat on the baking sheet (or foil) and sprinkle the brown sugar and cayenne mixture over each piece

*I like to smooth the sugar over the piece with my hand just to make sure it's evenly coated; you will most likely not need ALL of the sugar

*Bake 15-20 or until how crispy you like your baking (baking time will vary based on the thickness of the bacon so make sure to keep an eye on it)

*If you aren't using the baking sheet then you are going to want to remove the bacon from the foil after baking and place on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil

bacon

bacon

cobb