1st Version of class project - Whole Hog Piggy Pecan Pie....

M

music-city-missy

Well-known member
So based on ideas you all provided I 'created' a dessert. I had to do something different and off the wall especially since the verrine wouldn't work. So here's the idea.

Pecan Pie with Candied Bacon in a lard crust. Serve with a scoop of David Lebovitz's candied bacon ice cream, a bacon infused bourbon hard sauce and garnished with a shard of candied bacon toffee.

I substituted lard for the shortening in one of the CI's crusts (it said you could) but it really slumped and slid down in the pie pan. I've also decided that I think this would be best as an individual tart so I'm looking for a good tart shell recipe that I can put lard in to get the 'meaty' taste I am looking for.

Made the CI Best Pecan Pie which is my favorite and substituted candied bacon for about 1/4 of the pecans. Turned out okay but not nearly as much bacon flavor as I wanted - mainly a different texture. So here is what I am thinking - the candied bacon provides 'chew' and I want salty crunch. Going to try again with just chopped bacon barely crunchy. I think the base has enough sugar that when it's all tossed together before pouring in the shell, it will coat the bacon giving it sweetness but not leaving it so chewy.

I als think baking a tart and not putting quite as much of the 'filling' in it so that you get a better balance and not so much sweet.

Toffee - yummy. But again, the candied bacon is really almost undistinguishable - wondering what just crisped bacon will do so going to try another batch of that.

As for the sauce and ice cream - still need to try them. And I am thinking about trying a buttered pecan ice cream recipe with the candied bacon in it.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? I want to get a real different taste - I want to taste the salty bacony taste along with the sugar. I want it to taste more like the brown sugar glazed bacon.

 
Missy... I found that the type of bacon cure matters a lot. If you're looking for

a big bacon flavor, stay away from the more mild applewood flavors. If you can find one that is smoked, that would probably be better. I basically bought a couple strips of every type Whole Foods carries and tried every one in a tast test. I've been using the Black Forest Bacon but I might revisit it and find another for an even bigger bacon flavor.

I used applewood bacon in David's ice cream and was not really happy with that. If I were going to do this again, I'd probably infuse the dairy with bacon, then pull it out and use another set of bacon to make candied bacon for a mix in/garnish.

Here's my thought...I think if you did the pecan pie, maybe you could fry the nuts first in bacon fat? Also, I think the liquid from the pie basically makes that crsipy bacon chewy again. You may want to do a bacon garnish on the top of the pie, or sprinkle candied bacon on the top. Or, you know how people put leaves and such as a garnish, maybe you could do something with the bacon. But your I think your crispy issue has to do with the introduction of liquid.

I'm thinking maybe a dash of liquid smoke would add something? Like a smokey bacon kind of thing with some maple notes? Just an idea.

Here's a smokey Bacon essential oil that might work too: http://wctech.com/essoils.htm

And here's a link to a bacon flavored vodka infusion. Maybe you could do a bacon bourbon? I have an awesome burbon ice cream from chez panisse that I've posted before. Bacon burbon with candied bacon mixed in sounds awesome. Especially if you infused the dairy with bacon too.

Bacon, bacon, bacon! Glad I'm not the only one obsessed with bacon. smileys/wink.gif

 
Yep - I'm bacon crazy....

it may just be my taste buds. DH tasted the bacon in the pie and didn't like it. But he's not much on bacon anyway.

I used Kirklan bacon this time but plan on using a more artisinal bacon (the Broadbent I told you about) but I didn't have any. So I had a smoky salty bacon rather than subtle sweet bacon.

I might not have gotten the bacon quite crispy enough to start with - the ends were getting pretty done as was what was on the foil so I pulled it quickly. It wasn't as crispy as the 'laquered bacon' I make.

Somebody posted that they saw Anthony Bourdain and some chef make a bourbon infused with bacon by steeping the bacon fat with it for about a week then chilling and removing the bacon fat plug. So my intent on this is to fry up some bacon. Steep a couple of slices and the fat with the bourbon. So we have some of the same ideas.

It's all good. I'm just still playing - I have a taste in my head and I haven't hit it yet - you know what I mean?

 
Sounds like you're on the right track...I can't wait to see the end result...

Maybe you could use the laqured bacon as a garnish? Something to give it height?

My bacon slathered with brown sugar and baked in the oven, gets more crispy as it sits but if I remember right, it never quite gets shatering crispy, which I actually like better. In other words, my bacon is still somewhat plyable.

If you're willing to reach out, there's a chef locally who is doing a lot of work with bacon. You may want to give him a call and discuss ideas. He's very generous and is the one who is working on bacon caramels, bacon mashmallows, etc. We know a lot of the same people, but don't know eachother personally so dropping my name may or may not help. smileys/smile.gif Anyway, I'd get in touch with Jason. His resto does dinner only so mornings or early afternoon (PDT) would be best. http://www.chefjasonwilson.com/

 
Contacted him and he already responded back

gave me a few things they were playing with along with some sources to get some different ingredients and all. I'll fill you in more later but it was some cool ideas - how to basically make a bacon powder......

 
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