Sweet and Spicy 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)
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