What ingredient gets my heart pounding every time I haul it out, makes everything else taste amazing and is so popular entire websites are devoted to it? Bacon! Here are my three favorite ways to show it off.

Ingredients

Bacon Candy
1 pound or so of thick slice bacon
1 cup brown sugar
lots freshly ground pepper

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin
1-2 sprinkles salt and lots of freshly ground pepper

Tomato-Bacon Pasta Sauce
8 slices or so of thick slice bacon, chopped
A generous splash of water
1-2 onions, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon of oregano
1-2 sprinkles freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Bacon candy:

Preheat your oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

Lay bacon strips in an even layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar and top with lots of pepper. Bake until crispy, about 25 to 30 minutes or so. Your bacon is perfect and ready for a BLT, a plate of scrambled eggs or just plain as is!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Preheat your oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Trim your bacon to fit around the tenderloin just a slight overlap. Wrap it around the tenderloin and secure by resting with the seam on the bottom. (or you can use binder clips!). Place in a low-sided oven-proof baking dish. Bake 25 minutes or so until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loin reads 155 °F (68 °C). Slice and plate and you’re ready to share!

Tomato-Bacon Pasta Sauce

Toss the bacon into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water. Cook until the water boils away and the bacon begins to brown. Continue stirring until the bacon is nice and crispy. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they are golden brown. Pour in tomatoes and sprinkle in oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to blend. Spoon over your favorite pasta, serve and share. Mmmmmmmmmm”¦..bacon!

Chef Michael’s Kitchen

© Chef Michael Smith