Brown Sugar Candied Bacon

I have so many parties over the years, and I mean a lot. I got tired of doing all of the work on every holiday, so I came up with a solution, a cooking competition! The first years wasn’t too exciting, with someone bringing a bucket of KFC. I solved that problem the next year offering $100, $50 and $25 gift certificates and a nice glass trophy, and people upped their game!. I told my young son, who was almost out of elementary school at the time, and wanted to win that money and trophy, “Make something with bacon and it will win”. Well he won first place four out of five years, with that advice, and that was with fifteen entries, one year! There is just something about bacon that excites the people. I don’t normally eat it for various reasons, but when I have house guest I make it and I eat it. I make it many different ways, and fix the PUFA issue refrying it in refined coconut oil, per Ray Peat suggestion. This brown sugar candied bacon is one of those things I have made for decades that people bring up years later. It is memorable!

Start this bacon by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Put parchment paper down on a large baking pan, or use aluminum foil. I use to make this without the rack, so laying the bacon on the foil will work too. Space 8-ounces of bacon on the rack or sheet, about seven pieces. Put in the oven for about ten minutes.

After ten minutes there should be a good amount of grease that has come out of the bacon.

After the grease is drained off, take the bacon off the rack and put it straight on the foil or parchment paper turned over, and divide 6 tablespoons of brown sugar on top of the bacon. Put a couple of tablespoons of refined coconut oil on the pan and put the bacon back in the oven for about eight minutes more. When the bacon is nicely browned and the sugar is melted and bubbly take it out of the oven. Transfer the bacon to the drying rack or paper plates, and cool for five minutes or so. I’m telling you make this for Christmas, a birthday or for a new date and it will make a big impression!

“I fry the bacon to remove some of the fat, and then refry it in coconut oil, to remove most of the PUFA.” -Ray Peat