Meat+Poultry - October 2018 - 55

BarBacon

B

acon. It's one of the few foods that is
both salty and sweet at the same time,
while also delivering an unrivalled dose
of savory umami.
It's practically all protein and fat, with
many varieties welcomed by those following
low-carbohydrate, paleo and keto diets.
It's one of life's guilty pleasures and its
popularity shows no signs of abating. And
adding flavor to this satiating food increases its
uses and applications.
This is something Chef Peter Sherman,
owner of BarBacon, New York City, knows
well. He makes bacon the star, serving it in
everything from appetizers to desserts.
One of his originals is Kentucky Fried
Bacon (KFB) Bites, which are bite-sized crispy
pieces of battered thick-cut bacon served like
chicken nuggets. The inch-long chunks are
dusted in flour, dipped in egg and covered
with panko crumbs. After deep frying, they are
covered with Thai chili honey and served with
house pickles.
"The inspiration was confit bacon," he
says. "This technique tenderizes the bacon,
creating a desirable texture. There's endless
flavor possibilities."
Flavors or seasonings may be added to
the batter or breading. The drizzle can be any
sauce or even a dusting of herbs and spices
that adsorbs onto the crispy crust.
In addition to being an appetizer, KFB Bites
are served in a pretzel bun with ginger sage
pork sausage and pineapple jalapeño slaw.
They can also be found covered with pickled
vegetables, cilantro, basil, mint and spicy aioli
in a Banh Mi sandwich.
Another BarBacon specialty is its flight
of four flavored bacons, alone or paired with
samplings of craft beers. Sherman works with
purveyors across the country, tasting endless
bacon samples to decide the varieties to
feature at varying times a year.
"My objective is to elevate bacon into an
artisanal product. It has to have a culinary
purpose," he says. "It does not need to be
pork, but it has to taste like bacon. The cure
is important."
The bacon flight starts with a mildly
flavored slice - such as pecan wood smoked
- and ends with some kick. This typically
includes a black pepper-encrusted variety as
well as a jalapeño-infused bacon.

Other featured bacons may include
Applewood smoked, maple glazed and corn
cob smoked. The latter, as the name suggests,
is bacon smoked over a bed of corn cobs.
This renders a stronger smokiness than most
hardwoods, with a touch of sweet corn aroma.

ADDING FLAVOR
Culinary professionals such as Sherman
are embracing the fact that bacon's unique
sweet, salty, savory taste and chewy yet crispy
texture melds well with all types of flavors.
And consumers are often willing to explore
unfamiliar and ethnic flavors when they are
delivered on a familiar food, such as bacon.
Bacon's composition and form functions as an
ideal vehicle for flavor innovation.
"Bacon, it's not just for breakfast anymore,"
says Jodi Schwalbe, global marketing manager,
smoke and grill, Red Arrow Products,
Manitowoc, Wisconsin. "Flights of bacon for
an appetizer, garnishes for cocktails, bacon
jam, bacon crumbles on desserts, not only is
bacon appearing on all menu dayparts but it is
showing up on store shelves."
Flavoring expands uses and allows chefs to
differentiate. Home cooks are inspired to get
creative beyond the morning meal.
There are four basic methods to add
flavor to bacon, and often times multiple
approaches are used to add many layers of
flavor, sometimes even color and texture, too.
Pork belly is traditionally cured by a marinade
of salt, phosphates, nitrates and usually some
sugar. This cure produces the authentic bacon
taste Sherman requires of the more than 700
lbs. of bacon BarBacon serves each week.
Flavor may be injected through the curing
brine. This can come from simply replacing
granulated sugar with a more flavorful
sweetener, such as brown sugar, honey or
maple syrup. Flavor extracts may also be
included in the marinade. This is often how
chili pepper heat, such as ancho, chipotle
and jalapeño, is added. It's important that the
flavoring ingredients stay soluble in the curing
brine so that it's evenly dispersed.
Brine viscosity also influences flavor
absorption and retention, even with injected
products. With cured bacons, the sodium
nitrite may impact the flavoring ingredients.
After curing, bacon is usually smoked.
This not only sets the red color produced by

"Even though
mesquite is not
widely used in
bacon, when
blended or used
in conjunction
with other
smokes, it
intensifies the
aromatics,
sweetness and
ashy character
of the bacon."
- ROBERT JOHNSON

Bacon is the star at New
York City's BarBacon
restaurant. The popular
pork belly appears
in everything from
appetizers to desserts.

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