July 31, 2009 by Marianne

July 31, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts , Archie McPhee, bacon belt, etsy, muffin top

One of my least favorite fashion trends in the U.S. is the muffin top. You know, when your jeans get a little too tight, but instead of giving them to Goodwill you just keep rocking them and add a slightly-too-short t-shirt to emphasize your tummy’s accomplishment? I see it less and less, but a couple of years ago I could have sworn someone was actually selling the concept to teens. Half the girls on State Street were sporting muffin tops, and I spent a lot of time shaking my head. I’m not saying I’ve never spilled over the top of my jeans, I’m just saying I wore a long, flowy shirt to fool myself. Probably didn’t fool anyone else.

“Why is she rambling about this?” you’re wondering. Well in England they call this look the Bacon Belt. Which I find far more descriptive and less flattering than the American term. But, I guess you gotta call a spade a spade, and the English are pretty blunt people.

Now, to redeem the term altogether, Archie McPhee has given us something more literal. The Bacon Belt, seen here looking extra rock-star with a Slayer t-shirt, is made of vinyl and runs $24.95.

If you’ve got a little more cash to spare, you can get this custom bacon and eggs belt from the Etsy Belt shop. The buckle is made of pewter, and at $460, this would be a serious sign of your devotion to the pork belly. Totally worth it, right? 

July 29, 2009 by Marianne

July 29, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts , Archie McPhee, bacon soap, soapourri

You know how when one vampire movie (or zombie movie, or movie about Truman Capote) comes out, suddenly there are one or two others within the next 12 months? Like, everyone had this great idea right around the same time for some weird reason? Well, apparently bacon-scented soap is an idea whose time has come.

We begin with a new product from Cindy at Soapourri. She has a variety 3-pack of Man Soap (scroll down a bit), including not only bacon, but also rum & lime (yum) and Dirty Boy, which includes coffee grounds, pumice and the scent of motor oil! Super inventive and exfoliating! Count my man in. And just so your guy doesn’t feel weird about getting soap in his stocking, it comes wrapped in manly camo paper, tied with minimalist twine.

And of course, never to be outdone by the little guy, and always excessively overboard on all things bacon-kitsch, Archie McPhee took it a step further by making soap that smells and kinda looks like bacon. This embossed bar comes in the ever popular McPhee tin, giving you somewhere to keep your collection of spent shell casings . You manly man, you.

If Taco Bell has it right, we ladies should be using this soap to draw men to our heavenly aroma. Wait, did I just suggest that women take dating advice from Taco Bell? I think I’m high on liquid smoke. Someone needs some coffee, STAT.

July 27, 2009 by Marianne

July 27, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon News , Bacon home

Bacon lovers in the Bellingham, Washington area, have I got a home for you. The historic Bacon Home has been standing for more than 100 years, and now it can be yours!

Actually, it’s a gorgeous house in my second-favorite state. If only I had a million dollars to spare! Thanks, Mykie, for keeping us posted on all the lastest in Bacon real estate.

July 24, 2009 by Marianne

July 24, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes , chicharrones

I’m sure you’ve all heard of chicharrones. Also known as pork rinds or cracklin’s and often sold in liquor stores with a small packet of hot sauce, these puffy pig fat treats are a mere shadow of the real thing. If you’re lucky, you’ve got a good authentic Mexican restaurant in your town where you can get a fresh fried chicharrone, possibly with some actual pork skin. If you’re brave, you might even try making them yourself.

While technically not bacon, this Latin American treat is closely related enough for me to justify talking about it here. Last week I made chile verde, using a pork shoulder (or butt) roast. There’s usually a thick layer of fat on one side, with a streak of meat running through the center, but not enough to try to salvage. I generally cut off all this fat and toss it, but for some reason I was struck with the idea of trying to make chicharrones this time. I’d never done it before, and didn’t know if this cut of fat even qualified, but still I charged forth.

I started by placing the pieces into a skillet with a miniscule amount of olive oil, just to get the frying started. I sprinkled them lightly with salt and cooked them on the stove on low heat for nearly an hour, turning occassionally. After that amount of time, they weren’t anywhere near crispy, so I heated the oven to 300 degrees and cooked them for another hour. Still not crispy enough! Apparently it takes quite a while to cook all the moisture out of pork fat. So I let them go one more hour and finally felt they were done enough. Sadly, I’m an idiot and didn’t realize I would be blogging about this, so only took one crappy photo (on my phone, of course) toward the end of the process.

How can I describe these savory bites? They were so rich and fatty, at once wildly satisfying and horribly guilt-inducing. I’ve had other homemade chicharrones that were overcooked and had a burnt flavor, but the long, slow cooking time caused no burning, and made them crispy, slightly chewy toward the center and kind of melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They were so good, I promised myself I wouldn’t make them more than once a year. Clearly I am not a sweets person…for me this was like a chocoholic eating a whole box of See’s candy in a sitting.

If you’re a true bacon lover, I highly recommend trying this out for yourself. But I warn you, chicharrones may be habit forming. Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery with greasy fingers. If you feel you are at risk of pork fat overdose, eat a salad…and don’t forget the bacon bits.

July 22, 2009 by Marianne

July 22, 2009 • Filed Under: Bacon Porn, Bacon Recipes , Bacon, bacon caramels, notwithoutsalt.com

A reader named Chrissie sent me a link to this recipe for Bacon Caramels, and I cannot thank her enough. Although I’ve never made candy, and I know it can be tricky, I think we’ll give these a try for Bacon Day 2009. They just look too divine.

If you’re looking for a good recipe site, especially one with lots of lavish sweets and detailed techniques, Not Without Salt is a great resource.