Braised Fresh Bacon Recipes

UNCURED FRESH HOMEMADE BACON

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 200 F.
• Combine the spices and coat the pork belly thoroughly all over. Wrap snugly in 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place in a roasting pan and cook for 3 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the pork inside to cool for 1 1/2 hours. Remove and refrigerate overnight.
• Unwrap the pork belly and scrape off any gelatinous juices. Cut into thick slices and brown in a pan just as if you were cooking bacon. A little extra fat from the foil can be added to the pan to help get things going.
• Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with more salt if needed.

CIDER-BRAISED SLAB BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place bacon in an 8-inch square baking dish, and rub all over with pepper. Bring cider and maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan, and pour over bacon. Cover with foil, and braise bacon in oven 55 minutes. Turn over bacon, cover, and braise 50 minutes more. Remove foil, and let bacon cool in liquid.
• Remove bacon from braising liquid, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer liquid to a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a glaze (you should have 1/3 cup).
• Toss bacon in glaze to coat, and cook in a nonstick pan or preheated cast-iron skillet over medium heat, turning once, until deep brown and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes total.

BRAISED FRESH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil until it shimmers. Season pork with salt and pepper to taste, and place it skin side down in skillet. Cook until skin is browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, and add onion, carrots, celery, leek and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Return pork to skillet, skin side up, and add enough stock to surround but not cover meat, about 2 cups. Bring stock to a simmer, then transfer pan to oven. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add another cup of stock, and continue baking until pork is tender enough to cut with a fork, about another hour.
• Allow pork to cool in braising liquid. Remove pork from liquid, then gently lift off and discard skin; use a small knife to separate any pieces that do not lift off easily. Score fat, making crosshatch incisions, then cut pork into four equal pieces.
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Strain braising liquid, discarding solids. Return liquid to skillet, bring to a simmer and skim off fat. Return pork, fat side up, to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake, without basting, until pork is heated through and fat is well browned, about 20 minutes. Serve pork in shallow bowls topped with a bit of braising liquid.

BRAISED ROMAINE LETTUCE WITH MUSTARD AND BACON

Steps:

• Brown the bacon in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Place the romaine halves in the same pan, cut-side down, and brown in the rendered bacon fat, turning as needed until wilted, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lettuce to the plate with the bacon. Add the wine to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that cling to the pan. Add the broth, thyme, and mustard and bring to a simmer. Return the lettuce to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, and then adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Place a circle of parchment paper directly on the lettuce, or set a lid slightly ajar on the skillet. Cook the romaine until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the romaine to a serving dish and reduce the cooking liquid to a saucy glaze. Remove the thyme sprig and pour the cooking liquid over the lettuce, sprinkle with the bacon, and serve.