Peter Sherman - The Bacon Bible

CHAPTER 1
BACON

CHAPTER 2
BACON SAUSAGES

CHAPTER 3
SAUCES & RUBS

CHAPTER 4
COCKTAILS

CHAPTER 5
SNACKS & SIDES

CHAPTER 6
SOUPS

CHAPTER 7
SALADS

CHAPTER 8
SANDWICHES & TACOS

CHAPTER 9
ENTRES

CHAPTER 10
HOLD THE BACON

CHAPTER 11
BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

CHAPTER 12
DESSERTS

Sin is in, gastronomically speaking. Bacon, a savory workhorse ingredient that lends an underpinning of hauntingly rich and complex flavor to a dish, frequently without celebration or menu credit, is now finally having its heyday. Bacon Mania has officially taken over the entire country. Its a national obsession continuously being embraced by devotees in each new generation. What was once strictly a breakfast staple has now been injected into all food forms and multiple non-food retail outlets. Basically it sells everything it touches.

A few years ago, I had the crazy idea that bacon not only deserved to star in a few dishes; it deserved to star in a restaurant. And so BarBacon, my ode to one of Americas greatest indulgences, was born. More than a few people were not too shy to tell me how nutty it sounded: A restaurant devoted to bacon was indeed crazyand in New York City of all places. Rent alone was going to be at least $150 per square foot, so I was truly going to have to bring home the bacon.

Needless to say, I was nervous. I understood the classics. Hell, I worked my ass off and paid my dues in culinary school and up through the best of the French restaurants, culminating under Jol Robuchon. I learned what great food looks and tastes like and, perhaps more important, the painstaking effort it takes to make a truly amazing meal. Now, I was tasked to do the same, to create the same reaction, but instead of the whole of French cuisine to work from I had just one central ingredient: bacon.

Given my background working in restaurants of the highest caliber, my friends always found it peculiar that my biggest food craving was bacon, and not a well-marbled steak or freshly caught tuna. Nope, after a nightmare of a shift coming home at 4 AM starving, bacon has always been my go-to. Its been consistently delicious and unfailing in its ability to be exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. Now its the food I crave when I wake up with my kids on weekends and want to make them something I love. Its the perfect food to meno matter the time, the circumstance, or the weather.

Im not sure why it took me so long to embrace it, but I have to share the gospel and enrich others as if I have been awoken to the intoxicating aroma of bacon seemingly for the first time. My vision for BarBacon was to enlighten people to this knowledge: that we make the very best bacon in the world and that you always lead with your best. No more bacon as an extra. As a side. Bacon is the star, the lead character. And that brings us to this book, The Bacon Bible. I needed to write this book because I realize that not everyone can visit New York or my restaurant, but that shouldnt mean that you should miss out on all of the fun and, most important, the great food. The great food that centers all around one ingredient, one incredibly delicious ingredient that, for far too long, was not given the starring role that it deserves. Bacon is ready for its close-up.

When I first opened the restaurant, bacon meant simply pork belly that had been cured and smoked. End of story. Well... thats actually not the end of this story. I realized early on that bacon was used to describe a number of dishes, some of which I wholly disagree with. While American bacon comes from pork belly, Canadian bacon comes from the loin, and European bacon from the shoulder; there is turkey bacon and lamb bacon and veggie bacon. If all of these are bacon, what defines bacon?

Defining what constitutes bacon is surprisingly difficult. Most of us would define bacon as cured smoked pork belly, but a quick trip to the grocery store proves otherwise, with shelves lined with a vast array of non-pork bacon options. Everything from turkey to lamb to beef has been cured and smoked and ultimately presented to the public as bacon. There is veggie bacon and vegan bacon, and for the most part, the public has accepted these inclusions. I am not so accepting. While Im okay with including animals beyond pig, I cant bring myself to include variations with no actual animal present. So, for the purpose of this book, and perhaps life in general, I present this simple but clear definition: Bacon: Smoked cured meat from a single cut of an animal.

I debated expanding on this, but regressed because bacon is about simplicity and an homage to a now-ancient process that has sustained civilizations and withstood the test of time. In other words: If it aint broke, dont fix it.

Today, bacon is a $4 billion dollar business and growing. As I write this book, we are in the midst of a bacon drought. The millions of pounds of bacon the meat packers freeze have all but run out. A serious concern, particularly for a chef that literally cant cook without it. But while the market corrects itself and the pundits claim bacon is trending again, as if it ever stopped, bacon will continue to evolvenot in its method of preparation, but in the flavors and variations on offer. Bacon has a place in almost every cuisine. I have tried Cajun and maple bacon, corn cobsmoked and apple ciderflavored, just to name a few. There are hundreds more variations. It is bacons simplicity that allows for such an array of flavors; all it takes is some time, a smoker, and an imagination.

BarBacons menu started by introducing better bacon to the classics we are all familiar with, like BLTs and wedge salads. These recipes were my foundation for growth, but they cant fill an entire menu, so bacon needed to evolve. It needed to be cooked in different ways and flavored with much more than just salt and smoke. I started exploring the potential of this workhorse ingredient: What if I played with new meats? What if I cured tuna and smoked that? What if I started with traditional pork bacon, but infused it with chipotle? Luckily, youll find out.

This book is your bible. It will teach you everything you need to know about bacon. First, Ill teach you how to cure perfect, simple bacon from scratch, and then how to mix things up with some of my favorite seasonings, like soy and ginger, jerk, and maple, just to get your mouth watering. Once Ive taught you how to make traditional pork bacon, Ill help you expand your repertoire with new meats. Ill take you through the steps to make Korean beef bacon bulgogi and a loaded tuna bacon New Yorkstyle bagel.

As much fun as it is to make your own bacon, youll see that it takes time and a bit of patience. Ill get you off the hook by introducing you to a few of my favorite purveyors and will show you how to use their products beautifully. Well go over every way you could possibly cook a simple piece of bacon.

Bacon always extended itself beyond breakfast for me, and this book teaches you how to think about bacon differently. It obviously belongs on the breakfast table, but sometimes it needs to be caramelized and layered in a bacon biscuit. Ill also show you how its equally appropriate on the dinner table. Youll learn how to make the classics that Ive spent years perfecting, like bacon cassoulet, Kentucky Fried Bacon Banh Mi, and Cobb salad, and recipes that needed just a bit of bacon kickbacon baked beans, bacon macaroni and cheese, and Bacon Chili. Once I have gained your confidence, I will let you in my head. (Full disclosure: Things start to get weird.) We use classic forms of bacon and turn them on their heads, making dishes like bacon tempura and bacon dashi.