January 25, 2010 by Marianne

January 25, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon Gifts, Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Pop's Authentic Snack Sticks

Just before the holidays, we were fortunate to be contacted by the good folks at Pop’s Authentic, a company that makes artisan jerky and meat snack in New Franklin, Missouri. They asked if we’d like to try their product (specifically their Bacon Snack Stick) and I enthusiastically accepted. When the package arrived, I was thrilled to find a sampling of their snack stick flavors, including original, peppered, habanero and of course bacon.

It took my husband all of 5 seconds to tear into one. They look similar to a Slim Jim, which had me wary, but believe me, looks are where the comparison ends. We started with the original. It tastes like a nice smoked summer sausage, and has a nice, firm texture. It’s like having a small reminder of summer BBQs in the dead of winter. The peppered stick had a tiny bit of spice to it, and the habanero a bit more, but neither would really fit my description of “spicy.” We just eat things really hot at our house.

And then we tried the bacon. This was our favorite by far. Again, it had the flavor of  a smoked sausage, but it was a bit sweeter, like there was a hint of maple to it. I’m definitely ordering these to keep around the house because they’re a great carb-free snack. Low in fat and high in protein, each stick has 80 calories and zero carbs. The sodium is a bit high at 280 mg, but when you’re a salt freak like me, it comes with the territory.

All of Pop’s snack sticks come in boxes of 12 for $13.80. As a special offer to our readers, when you order two boxes you’ll get a third free! To place an order, just go here and enter the promo code POPS. And tell them RBS sent you!

January 20, 2010 by Marianne

January 20, 2010 • Filed Under: Bacon Recipes, Bacon Reviews , Bacon, Oscar Mayer, Super Thick Cut Bacon

We were recently contacted by Oscar Mayer, asking us if we’d like to try out their new product, Super Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon. Because we are no fools, we said, “yes please!” You may have seen this new bacon mentioned on, oh, EVERY OTHER BACON BLOG by now, but we here at RBS really like to take our time to savor a new experience. Look at it from every angle. Meet its mom and dad before we make a commitment.

First let’s talk about the term “Super Thick Cut.” I tried really hard to take a photo that would emphasize the thickness of these slices, but I just couldn’t do them justice. I will say this: there are only 9 slices to a pound. I’d say they’re just slightly thicker than your average slice of Canadian bacon. They’re like something from the Flintstones. Wilma would serve this brontobacon with a side of pterodactyl eggs. And Fred would love it.

Good old Oscar also sent us a handful of creative recipes to try, but I really wanted to put the bacon to everyday uses and see how it fit. I’m here to tell you, it fits like a glove. First I made the classic: bacon and eggs. It takes me about 20 minutes to make bacon of average thickness, frying it on low heat and making sure it’s cooked evenly. Drives my husband crazy. I figured this bacon would take at least 30 minutes, but on the contrary it took only 15! This was because the larger slices (in my usual small frying pan) made more grease, decreasing overall cooking time and aiding in even doneness. And 2 slices each was more than enough…we both ended up giving Brutus a bite or two.

On to what I use bacon for most: enhancing the joy of vegetables. My husband was making seared Ahi the other night and wanted to try those cool Chinese long beans we always see at the Asian market. He used a few slices of the Super Thick Cut and seasoned it with hot chili powder. It was absolutely delicious and added a nice toothsome feature to the lightly blanched beans.

A couple nights later, I decided to try roasting some cauliflower, something I had eaten at a friend’s house. I chopped up the last two slices of bacon and tossed them with raw cauliflower chunks, then roasted it all at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. I probably should have half-cooked the bacon before adding it to the pan…it didn’t reach quite the crispiness I was looking for, but I didn’t want to over-cook the veggies. All in all, though, it was good. The bacon grease helped brown the cauliflower and of course lended it a delicious, salty flavor.

Naseem said she ate her bacon almost immediately after I delivered it to her, so I’d say she’s giving this product 2 thumbs up. And I’m with her…I’ve not typically been a thick-cut fan, but Super Thick Cut is a whole different story. I’m backing this bacon 100%.

And now for the best news. Oscar Mayer has given us 10 FREE SUPER THICK CUT BACON COUPONS to do with what we will, and of course we’d love to share this product with our readers. All you have to do is send us an email with your address, and one of them will be on its way to you. But act fast, these will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. We’d love for you to try the bacon yourself and tell us what you think!