Bacon!

[ABQCOWBOY]

Let me introduce you to the Mother ****ing Lardon!!

Appropriately named, its slab bacon that has been diced, blanched and fried and as any bacon lover already knows is packed with flavor. They can be cooked in advance and added to salads, sauces, eggs and virtually anything your tastebuds desire, we've even crisped them up and finely diced them and added them to popcorn that was cooked in the rendered fat that was produced from making the lardons....best popcorn ever!

They're easy to make, start with a slab of bacon or cure & smoke some pork belly to make your own bacon (our in-house cured bacon is on the right, the left slab is apple wood smoked bacon from Whole Foods, I just had the butcher sell me the slab and not slice it):

Dice them into bite size cubes/rectangles:

Use a large, thick metal pan so they can be spread out without touching each other or stacking them (stacking them or veggies causes the food to be steamed by the moisture released from the items on the bottom and causes uneven cooking & soggy veggies):

Add water to about 1/2 to 3/4 the thickness of the cubed cuts & Bring water to a boil and then reduce heat enough to keep the water simmering so it will slowly cook the lardons as the water evaporates::

Continue to cook until all the water has evaporated and the fats have started to render and fry the lardons:

turn the lardons as they start to brown so they are cooked evenly on all sides:

when they're browned on all sides, remove from heat and allow the fat to drain on a towel or by placing them on a wire rack, wallah:

Use them on whatever dish u like, hell, they're great all by themselves, I added a few on top of my shirred eggs for a quick & tasty bfast:

I also like to crisp bacon and then toss with honey and sprinkle over eggs on a tortilla with goat cheese and arugula, friggin awesome:

Bon Apetit!

PS..save the bacon fat & use it to make eggs, popcorn, gravy, etc

PSS...I LOVE BACON!

Congrats, looks like you've discovered Chicharrones. They are awesome good. A local favorite around here.

 

[yimyammer]

Congrats, looks like you've discovered Chicharrones. They are awesome good. A local favorite around here.

I need to try those, what I did doesn't have the skin on the belly

I did lardons, here's the recipe

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I need to try those, what I did doesn't have the skin on the belly

I did lardons, here's the recipe

Around here, Chicharrones aren't made with skins. They are cut into cubes, just like your recipe calls for. The prep, prior to frying is a little different but it's pretty much the same thing. We love them!

 

[Roadtrip635]

As if we need a reason to eat more bacon, this scientific research comes out that pork fat is one of the top 10 healthiest foods for you! Bacon as a health food!

The BBC just enlisted a group of scientists to rank the 100 healthiest foods in the world, based on all of the nutrients they contain. And number eight is pork fat. They say it’s a good source of B vitamins and minerals. Who knew?



Anyway, the top 10 healthiest foods are: Almonds, cherimoya fruit, ocean perch fish, flatfish, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, Swiss chard, pork fat, beet greens, and snapper.

http://www.alice965.com/2018/01/30/...-the-world-include-almonds-fish-and-pork-fat/

 

[Runwildboys]

As if we need a reason to eat more bacon, this scientific research comes out that pork fat is one of the top 10 healthiest foods for you! Bacon as a health food!



http://www.alice965.com/2018/01/30/...-the-world-include-almonds-fish-and-pork-fat/

I can't help but be uncertain about the veracity of this claim.

 

[yimyammer]

Around here, Chicharrones aren't made with skins. They are cut into cubes, just like your recipe calls for. The prep, prior to frying is a little different but it's pretty much the same thing. We love them!

whatever they're called, they're awesome, right?

Where's "Around here?

 

[Roadtrip635]

I can't help but be uncertain about the veracity of this claim.

Science is awesome. To quote Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, "Yeah science,..........."



Here's the link top the BBC article.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180126-the-100-most-nutritious-foods

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

whatever they're called, they're awesome, right?

Where's "Around here?

They are that!

I live in New Mexico. Here, you can go to any Spanish Restaurant and order those in a Burrito or in a Stuffed Sopapilla or mixed with diced fried potatoes or smothered in Red or Green chile or just in a bowl, salted and served.

They are better if you make them yourself, and we do that. We use Turkey Fryers to cook them up at parties or what have you. Everybody loves them.

 

[yimyammer]

They are that!

I live in New Mexico. Here, you can go to any Spanish Restaurant and order those in a Burrito or in a Stuffed Sopapilla or mixed with diced fried potatoes or smothered in Red or Green chile or just in a bowl, salted and served.

They are better if you make them yourself, and we do that. We use Turkey Fryers to cook them up at parties or what have you. Everybody loves them.

nice! I'm gonna have to try those soon

BTW, I LOVE New Mexico, it was my second home growing up, my family is from Artesia and Roswell and I still have great friends in Roswell I see occasionally

My dad and I used to go to Ruidosa Downs when I was a kid and I had a blast

Mussing me some taquitos and stacked enchiladas thinking out it

 

[CouchCoach]

Around here, Chicharrones aren't made with skins. They are cut into cubes, just like your recipe calls for. The prep, prior to frying is a little different but it's pretty much the same thing. We love them!

Isn't that more a cracklin?

 

[CouchCoach]

I can't help but be uncertain about the veracity of this claim.

Don't argue with him.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

nice! I'm gonna have to try those soon

BTW, I LOVE New Mexico, it was my second home growing up, my family is from Artesia and Roswell and I still have great friends in Roswell I see occasionally

My dad and I used to go to Ruidosa Downs when I was a kid and I had a blast

Mussing me some taquitos and stacked enchiladas thinking out it

Played a State Football Championship Game in the Wool Bowl about a hundered years ago. Ruidoso is nice. I too like it there.

Stacked Enchiladas are also pretty popular in my house. We make Red Chile ourselves so Enchiladas are requested all the time. I like mine with a fried egg over the top. You'll have to look me up next time you get out this way.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Isn't that more a cracklin?

Similar. A Cracklin, so far as I know, is also a piece of pork fat, with some meat, attached to a skin.

 

[CouchCoach]

Similar. A Cracklin, so far as I know, is also a piece of pork fat, with some meat, attached to a skin.

It is in Louisiana and too good not to be bad for you.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

It is in Louisiana and too good not to be bad for you.

Yeah, you can get them all through the South I think. I have a buddy from Mobile and another from a little town down on the Florida - Georgia line and they both make Cracklins and they both are pretty dang good.

 

[yimyammer]

I like mine with a fried egg over the top.

me too, extra crispy around the edges but still runny yolk

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

me too, extra crispy around the edges but still runny yolk

Yep, over mediam, fried in hot Bacon Grease if you have it. I'm sure it's just wonderful for me but I don't care. I love it.

 

[yimyammer]

making me hungry!

 

[CF74]

 

[Runwildboys]

No.... just no.