Drinking Bacon

The idea of pairing Bacon with Alcohol is one that may seem a little far-fetched, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Enjoying some salty treats along with your favorite drink to wrap up a day is always such a pleasant experience, so why limit those snacks to regular old chips, peanuts, or pretzels! This is our simple and delicious recipe for Drinking Bacon – the ultimate companion to your favorite beverage (alcoholic or otherwise!)

The origins of this dish (for us anyway)

We’d love to claim that this is our original idea, but alas it came from a bar in none other than New Orleans. I mean, it’s kind of fitting that a fantastic drinking snack is inspired by New Orleans! It’s such a party town and they always seem to do things a little differently down there. They put their own spin on so many culinary treats, that bar food is no exception!

We stumbled across a little wine bar somewhere in the French Quarter late at night. The place was almost empty, but still open and the drinks were remarkably cheap. We ordered a bottle of Wine and sat at the table. The next thing we knew, the lovely server showed up to our table with the wine in one hand, and a big cup filled with Bacon in the other!

It seemed kinda weird, but who were we to say no to free Bacon? Let me tell you something, it was a complete revelation! The pairing of Bacon with the Wine was such a treat. The saltiness of the Bacon was the perfect offset to the richness of the Red Wine. Of course, the Bacon was cooked perfectly and was wonderful and crispy. It was so easy to eat alongside that Wine!

Once our cup full of Bacon was done, they naturally brought out another one for us to much down. It was great! Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name of the bar, so if anyone knows of a bar serving free Bacon in NOLA, let us know in the comments below!

How to make perfect Drinking Bacon

Now, not all Bacon is the same. This may seem a little odd to some of you, but after extensive research (we ate a lot of Bacon!) we’ve established that there are certain types of Bacon that work for certain occasions. The classic Steaky Bacon is best used for Breakfast. Canadian Bacon (or Simply Bacon as they refer to it in Canada!) is great in sandwiches and BLTs. When it comes to Drinking Bacon, the best type is super-thin slices of Pork Belly

Pork Belly Bacon has a slightly different taste to it. I don’t really have the best way to describe it other than it’s more of a savory taste. Eating it you immediately understand that it isn’t a breakfast Bacon. It is much more of an afternoon / evening taste, and feels naturally more at place with a glass of Wine than it does a cup of Coffee

So, for our Drinking Bacon we recommend using Pork Belly. You may be able to purchase the Pork Belly already sliced. If not, try to ask your Butcher to cut up some super-thin slices for you. The best approach is having them use those deli meat slices. You can get the Pork razor thin, which is what we want for this dish

Otherwise, you can simply slice it at home. Just use a sharp knife and take your time. We want the slices to be quite thin, the same thickness of deli meat for this dish to work its best

We deep fry the Bacon

This may sound like the most indulgent way to prepare Bacon and in many ways, it is. The objective is to get the Bacon ridiculously crispy and still preserve a lot of the fat without rendering it all away. Deep frying is the best way to achieve this

It’s a simple process too. There is no need to coat the Bacon with anything, no breading or the like. Simply add the Bacon into the hot Oil and let it fry for about 1 ½ minutes until it’s super crispy. The color will turn a rich brown and the Bacon pieces will curl up but still retain their circular shape. This is what we want, as it makes their shape like that of a Potato Chip. Perfect for chowing down out of a bowl

Just be careful when adding Bacon directly to hot Oil. The Bacon will have a violent reaction to the Oil because of the cold fat and moisture in the Bacon immediately hitting piping hot Oil. So, do not over crowd the pan and avoid filling the Oil any higher than halfway full in the pan. You absolutely do not want the Oil to bubble over as it’s cooking, as that may be potentially dangerous

Once the Bacon is added to the Oil it will have a violent reaction. However, this will subside after about 30 seconds once the moisture in the Bacon has cooked out. Just let the Bacon swim in the Oil for another minute before removing when a spider strainer. Set it aside on a wire rack or paper towel and then hit it with Salt

Unlike other Bacon dishes, our Drinking Bacon loves more Salt

Usually, you wouldn’t add more Salt to Bacon as it’s already salty. This is not the case with Drinking Bacon. We are replicating a salty treat to eat along with a drink, so you want that bite to be super-salty. Don’t hold back on your seasoning. In fact, you want to add so much Salt that you can visually see the small crystals of Salt sitting on the Bacon before you eat it

You can try it with less Salt to do a taste comparison. Trust us, you’re going to realize just how much Salt this dish needs to be at its peak. It’s not the healthiest dish, we understand that. But it’s probably still a lot healthier than eating Potato Chips out of a bag. Way tastier too!

Drinking Bacon Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ lb. Pork Belly cut into thin slices
• 8 cups of Frying Oil (Canola / Vegetable Oil)
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Pat the Pork Belly slices dry using a paper towel to remove any excess moisture
2. Heat the Oil in a large pot, filling no more than halfway full
3. Once the Oil is at 300F, slowly add 2 – 3 pieces of Pork Belly into the Oil. Cook for 1 ½ minutes until crispy and golden-brown
4. Remove Pork from the Oil using a strainer and set aside on a wire rack or paper towel. Repeat with remaining slices of Pork
5. Season well with Salt, then allow to cool before serving
   
   

Recipe Notes

• We recommend asking your Butcher to thinly slice the Pork Belly for you using a deli slicer
• Do not fill the Oil more than halfway full in your pot. This will avoid any potential Oil from overflowing once the Pork is added
• Cook the Pork in small batches in the Oil
  
  

We hope you give this wonderful Drinking Bacon dish a try. It’s very easy to make and is such a refreshing bite to enjoy with your favorite beverage!

If you’re looking for more fun and tasty bites and snacks to try at home, why not try some of these delicious and easy to make recipes. They’re the perfect bite of food to enjoy on any occasion:

• Spicy Korean Chicken Wings
• Deep Fried Oysters
• Crispy Cauliflower Bites
• Spicy Popcorn Chicken
  
  

Happy Cooking!