So, I was inspired to try this dish after seeing some pictures of people forming bacon into crazy shapes after it had been cooked but before it had crisped up. I though it would be cool to make them into taco shells and stuff them full of lettuce and tomato to counter all the salty, greasy, bacon goodness, like a BLT minus the bread. Then Jen decided to mix up and awesome green aioli to put on top and all that was left was something to wash it all down. The obvious answer, of course, was a bloody mary. A super baconny BLT should have a super tomatoey drink as a companion.
Note: My first attempt at this bacon taco shell was successful but very time consuming and so I would not repeat it again, ever. It took almost 40 minutes for the bacon to crisp when I had woven it into a lattice and tried to bake it in a taco shell shape (pictured at right). Instead I will present a far simpler and less time consuming process (pictured below) that I saw here.
To accompany the dish, there was no group, or song, better than the Supersuckers covering Willie Nelson's "Bloody Mary Morning". Can't get much better than that! - justin
Place 4-5 strips of bacon on a paper towel on a microwave safe plate. Make sure the edges all overlap so that the bacon "fuses" when it's cooking. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, checking on it every minute or so to make sure it isn't burning. When it's done, pull it out and fold the bacon pancake in half with something inside to make it form into a shell. Some tinfoil should work. After a minute or two it should have set up and become crispy. Slice your tomato and lay some in your shell. Stuff the rest of the space with 3 of the large leaves of lettuce. Top with the aioli (recipe below) and you're good to go! Make as many more as you have guests or as you think yourself capable of consuming.
The aioli can actually be made ahead of time. It lasts for a long time in the fridge and goes well on everything; sandwiches, salad, wraps, slaw, etc.
Combine the mayo, sour cream , lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, green onions, and garlic and mix thoroughly. Voilà!
2 oz Demitri's Bloody Mary seasoning (this stuff is awesome but use what you like or can find)
1 qt V8 or tomato juice, whichever you prefer
4 shots vodka
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco or hot sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
olives or celery or some other garnish
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large pitcher and place in the fridge for an hour. Serve in a large glass over ice. Garnish with olives, celery or whatever you stick in your Bloody Mary. I prefer whole green olives!
So we have all of these autumnal veggies sitting around the house and in an effort to use them before they start to go bad, I decided to make some squash soup. I'd already been on a mission one day to make soup stock out of a chicken carcass and ended up going the extra mile to make a pork stock as well. It seemed like the perfect base for a squash soup. I went the smokey pork rout for the stock and tossed in a smoked pork femur, some trimmings off of a ham steak, and a healthy dose of bacon. The result was awesome. Some crumbled bacon and fresh chopped scallions made this an amazing comfort dish, perfect for a cold day or for the morning after a long night of debauchery when your body needs nutrients other than hard drugs and alcohol. Hearty and filling, healthy veggies, smooth and silky texture. Warms you from the inside!
Since it's a healthy and hearty soup it would naturally pair with some Supersuckers which is more like country/punk with a side order of "kick me in the teeth". A little "Born With a Tail" makes this good soup seem a little more edgy so here ya go. You can feel a little more rock-n-roll-devil-child while you eat your healthy squash soup. - justin
Smokey Squash Soup
Time: 1 hr
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy
2 cups butternut squash
2 cups sweet baking pumpkin
1 lb bacon, chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry sherry
6 cups pork or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
2 cups scallions, chopped
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
I was working with a whole squash and a whole pumpkin so I simply cut them in half, seeded them, and roasted half of each, cut side down, on an cookie sheet covered in oiled aluminum foil in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes. They came out perfectly. If you are working with diced veggies, use the 4 cups and toss them in a little olive oil and roast in a 425 degree oven and check them after 25 minutes. Pull when they are fork tender.
Brown the bacon in a large stock pot over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon and dump all but 3 tbsp of the bacon fat. Add the chopped onion and sweat until translucent and starting to brown. Add the salt, black and white peppers, paprika, chili powder, ginger and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vermouth or sherry and cook for 2 minutes or so to deglaze. Don't forget to scrape the pot with a wooden spoon or silicon whisk get all those yummy bits off the bottom. Those are called flavor.
Add the stock to the pot along with the squash and pumpkin and add 1/2 of the crisped bacon. Didn't think I'd forgotten that did you? Puree with whatever method you have available. We have a stick blender and that makes it easy but a food processor or blender would work as well. Just work in batches. After a smooth consistency has been achieved, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or so. When the desired consistency has been achieved (continue simmering if you like a thicker soup) stir in the cream and butter. Once they have been fully incorporated, serve with rest of the crumbled bacon, chopped scallions, and Pecorino Romano as a topping.
I also thought that a dollop of sour cream would be good on this. Or maybe some roasted apples or something.
