bacon of the month club round 4: Scott Hams country bacon
I am never brushing my teeth again. Seriously this is the winner and I need not try the rest.
Here is what I know about it:
(paraphrasing here)
Cured in only brown sugar and salt for two weeks (no nitrates or nirtites at all)
Can be pink to nut brown
cold smoked for 4-7 days till the color is right
Can be very salty
a salty, firm, and hammy texture
Scott Hams has a cool story, and amazing bacon. Check that pic above. I went a bit crisp, but you can see the salt on it. The smoke smell leaked right through the bag. It had the uber oiliness to it like Loveless Cafe bacon. It seems to be a thing with really smoked bacon. No nitrates means it will be missing that flavor and color, but I think it made it taste so awesome. It fried up without much shrinkage. The smoke aroma burned the eyes. We did 8 pieces for a breftest for dinner and the grease left behind was minimal.
I really do not know how to describe the flavor. I would almost reference boobs. It is that good. Theresa could not handle the saltiness or smoke. The salt bite hits hard and is followed by a smoke on top of a mix of ham and bacon. I think that is what bacon actually tastes like when there are no nitrates. It had a roller coaster of flavor. I think I have said that before, but it is so true for this. Salt, smoke, fat, and finished by a dense pork. It is the uber dark chocolate of bacon. Just wow.
In the pic above you can see how lean it is and the dark color.
I still have 8 more months worth of bacon to go, but I know I will buy this again and again.
Seems it is much cheaper from their site than grateful palate.
So I have been saving one of each two pounds I get for the ultimate bacon party in about 8 months. Of course I will need some help eating it and I hope some of yall will help.
EDIT: Just want to say a bit about really good quality bacon.
These folks are making bacon the old way. Dry cure is so hard to come by. Cold smoking for 4-7 days is absolutely amazing and so awesome. If you see their story on their site it kinda splains it.
We now have one full time employee and 6-8 part time employees. but as you can see we are a very small business.
This is the stuff that folks keep secret. It is such a cut above any mass produced product. I feel like I got it from some guy who lives in remote mountains and evading some sort of tax. Sliced gold it is.
yes. bacon party. yes. i promise to keep my pants on. i may bring the missus; she is a food critic and (i think) loves bacon. she better.
Comment by jake rhymes with cake — July 19, 2008 @ 1:26 am
I would totally be on board for a bacon party.
Comment by Gene — July 19, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
The only thing better than a lemon party is a bacon party.
Comment by swoof — July 21, 2008 @ 2:24 am
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[...] am going to start saving some bacon grease again. Not just normal bacon grease though, uber Scotts bacon grease. i figure I will add a bit to baked beans I plan on making on the smoker here [...]
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[...] finding the perfect bacon I have decided to try and replicate it. Last night begins 2 weeks of a dry cure consisting of only [...]
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