slab bacon

Braising is absolutely wonderful. Only done it once but I can't wait to try again. It was an asian-inspired sauce, then sliced into 3/4" small slices, fried in a pan and served with a gastrique and micro green salad. 

I wish I had a recipe. It was with a friend so I don't remember exactly what went into the braise. It was soy sauce based, garlic, ginger, some hoisin, etc..... 

First it was braised in a very slow oven for 6 or 7 hours, then it was placed under weights in the fridge overnight, reserving the braising liquid (reduced to make a sauce), then the next day it was portioned and the portions were pan-fried to order. 

I wish I had more details, but you can certainly find all sorts of braised pork belly recipes online. 

    Hi Dave,

    I would guess that the slab bacon is bacon indeed, which means it's already cured and smoked.  When you're doing a braised dish you would want to start with an uncooked pork belly.  You can use bacon to infuse flavor and texture in just about anything.  Fry up some bacon, remove and start your mirepoix in the bacon fat...adding the bits during your cooking process.  Use it in salads, in tomato based pasta sauces, olive oil based sauces, use it to start vegetables (bacon bit, fat, diced red pepper, etc.)...you can also use it to start a roux.  Simply, use the bacon and/or fat anywhere you want flavor!

   Dan

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonefishin 

I would guess that the slab bacon is bacon indeed, which means it's already cured and smoked.  When you're doing a braised dish you would want to start with an uncooked pork belly.

OMG I completely missed that. I thought Dave was talking about raw uncured pork belly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

OMG I completely missed that. I thought Dave was talking about raw uncured pork belly.

 

   You had me at pork belly 

You could cook up a 'fattie'

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8881

Of course replace the packaged bacon with your slab sliced.

I'm not sure if my mind-wandering will be useful, but I'll give it a shot.

Bacon seems to have two general purposes.  The first is a crispiness that just isn't achieved with other meats, and the second is the fat.  While braising would render a fair amount of the fat, I'm not sure how this cooking process would add to the meat in any way.  There are also better methods of rendering the fat if the fat is what you're after.  Cooking as a hunk of meat would also remove that crispiness that is often desired. 

One thing I'd like to try is to grind up some beef with some bacon.  Instead of a bacon cheeseburger, it'd be more of a cheesey baconburger.  The bacon would be chopped up on small pieces (ground) into the beef.  If my idea works, the fat would be rendered internally throughout the burger, and the meat/fat on the exterior would have that crispy texture that beef only gets when truly burned.  Given the cooking time of bacon vs a burger, I'm thinking the bacon would have to be ground quite fine to have enough surface area to render out before the burger is a block of charcoal.  If it works, it could be the best burger on the planet.  If it fails, then you have that whole "eating raw pork" issue or one insanely overcooked chunk of beef. 

I use bacon chopped very fine & ground lamb to make a heretical merguez.  It's very good.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobblygook 

 If it fails, then you have that whole "eating raw pork" issue or one insanely overcooked chunk of beef. 

    Hi Gobbly,

   A guy at my work had tried making these for us once, you end up with uncooked bacon inside.  Even if it's cut small.  If you're going to try it I would stick with a good slab of bacon.  Either making your own, or go to a Polish/Eastern European deli and get their slab bacon (under many different names).  This stuff is normally dry cured and properly smoked, the stuff in the store I would ensure it is cooked in a pan.

  Dan

Streaky bacon without the rind, lightly cooked on a sunny side up egg and a couple slices of tomatoes in bread that's been fried in the bacon fat. SERIOUS YUMS FACTOR!!!!
http://luminiquereviews.wordpress.com/

I deseed jalapenos, cut them in half, then blanch them.  After they have chilled, I fill each half with cream cheese, wrap a slice of bacon around it, and pin it in place with a toothpick.  Bake them for approximately 20 minutes @ 350F, wait for them to cool a bit.  Enjoy.

Hey Dave,

I make my own bacon and we frequently enjoy it as a roast, European style. Just put it in a roasting pan on a rack and bake at 250F until most of the fat has been rendered. Now you have a piece that can be carved into strips or chunks and served with veg and mash. The fat can be saved or tossed. This is usually served with a big mess of fried cabbage/onion and butter mashed potatoes.