2366. BLACK BEAN and BACON HUMMUS

yields 12 servings


1 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
the juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
2 tablespoons sour cream
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Place black beans in a food processor and blend to a thick puree. Add olive oil, almost all of the bacon, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, cumin and paprika, and blend thoroughly. Add sour cream to lighten the mixture and blend until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add salt and pepper to taste (taste often, you might prefer a little more paprika or cumin.)

Serve garnished with a little olive oil, a sprinkling of bacon and some chopped cilantro.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jerry D. Russell, Cooking by the seat of our pants, April 4, 2011

2155. POT ROAST with BACON and WINTER ROOT VEGETABLES

makes 8 to 10 servings


2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 4-pound boneless grass-fed beef chuck roast, tied
6 ounces slab bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then into 1x1/2-inch rectangles
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 large onions, thinly sliced
12 small shallots, peeled
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
4 large carrots (about 1 pound), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium parsnips (about 12 ounces), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small celery root, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl. Rub spice blend all over beef.

Cook bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat until browned and lightly crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer beef to plate. Add red wine to pot; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bacon. Place beef atop bacon. Scatter onions, shallots, garlic, and bay leaves around beef.

Cover pot, transfer to oven, and roast 1 hour. Turn beef over; stir onions. Cover and roast 1 hour longer, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer beef to plate. Add carrots, parsnips, and celery to pot; stir to coat. Place beef atop vegetables, cover, and roast until beef and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer beef to platter. Spoon off fat from surface of sauce. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over beef and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bruce Aidells, Bon Appétit, February 2008

2121. SPICY SQUID SALAD with BACON, WATERCRESS and LIMA BEANS

makes four servings


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 habanero chile, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/4 pounds cleaned squid, bodies cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings and large tentacles halved
1/2 pound dried large lima beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 bay leaf
4 thin strips of lean bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons Jan's Spice Mix (recipe below)
1/2 cup Calamata olives, pitted and halved
Lemon–Shallot Vinaigrette (recipe below)
1 pound watercress, large stems discarded (12 packed cups)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jan's Spice Mix
makes about 1 cup

7 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Mix all of the spices in a small jar. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 month.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette
makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a blender, combine the lemon zest and juice, shallots, mustard, vinegar and garlic and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Pour the vinaigrette into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In a large glass baking dish, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, jalapeño, habanero and lemon zest. Add the squid and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover the lima beans with 2 inches of water. Add the bay leaf, cover partially and simmer over low heat until the beans are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the beans stand in their cooking liquid. Drain just before using and discard the bay leaf.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate. Increase the heat to high and cook the bacon fat until sizzling. Add the squid and its marinade in an even layer and cook, without stirring, until the squid begins to turn white, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the spice mix over the squid and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 1 minute. Gently fold in the bacon, lima beans and olives and cook just until warmed through. Stir in half of the Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette and remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, toss the watercress with the remaining vinaigrette and transfer to plates. Top with the warm squid salad and serve at once.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jan Birnbaum "A Cook's Guide to Wine Pairings, Editor’s Picks: Marcia Kiesel’s Favorite F&W Recipes, California Wine Guide: Napa," Food & Wine, October 2002

1611. BRAISED BACON CAROLINA RICE

makes six servings


1 (1/2-pound) piece slab bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 cup long-grain white rice (preferably Carolina Gold)
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over low heat until some of fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in spices.

Add stock and tomato juice and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes (rice will be moist rather than fluffy and dry). Stir in celery leaves, butter, kosher salt, and pepper to taste, then remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Edward Lee, Gourmet, October 2009

1601. BACON JAM

2 pounds bacon, preferably smoked and cured
4 small to medium yellow onions, julienned
smoked paprika, or sweet Hungarian
freshly ground celery seed
freshly ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper
1-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup

Cut bacon into quarter length strips. Place in dutch oven or heavy deep skillet, and render on the lowest heat possible until bacon is browned but not too crisp. Stir occasionally. About 1 hour.

Remove bacon with slotted spoon, reserve in bowl.

Place onions in bacon grease on lowest flame. Stirring every 15 minutes, keep going low and slow until onions are caramelized most of the way through and very sweet. About 3 to 5 hours.

When you are getting close to removing the onions, add paprika, ground celery seed and ground cumin to pot, to taste. About a healthy pinch or three of each. Freshly crack some black pepper to taste, then remove onions with slotted spoon (taking some bacon grease with you), and place into a blender.

Place reserved bacon into blender along with a tablespoon or three of apple cider vinegar, and about a 1/3 cup of real maple syrup. Blitz in blender until a rough puree forms. Keep it rustic unless you want a fine smooth texture.

Taste, adjust syrup, salt, and other seasonings to taste.


bacon recipe courtesy of: My Lucky Crouton

1573. HUNGARIAN EGG NOODLE, SAUERKRAUT and GYPSY BACON SOUP

makes 6 servings


½ pound sliced Hungarian gypsy or paprika bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup dried Hungarian egg noodles
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
4 cups beef broth
1 pound packaged sauerkraut, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups water

In a heavy 6-quart pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till almost crisp and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot, add the noodles, and stir till they begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and stir till the vegetables soften and the noodles are golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and paprika over the top, stir, add 1 cup of the broth, and stir about 1 minute longer. Add the sauerkraut, bacon, marjoram, salt and pepper, the remaining broth, and the water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

To serve, ladle the hot soup into heavy soup bowls.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Bacon Cookbook: More than 150 Recipes from Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas. Wiley, 2007