Bacon Explosion

[Fire Me Boy!]

Special thanks to Bugeater at Fatchatter.

Bacon Explosion: The BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes



The other day the guys from BaconToday.com contacted me in search for some barbecue bacon recipes. Of course I have plenty of great uses for bacon in a barbecue pit, but the longer I thought about it, the more I wanted to step it up a notch and clog a few arteries for those guys. Behold, BACON EXPLOSION!!! Here’s what you’ll need…

2 pounds thick cut bacon
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 jar of your favorite barbeque sauce
1 jar of your favorite barbeque rub

To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.



The next step is to add some barbeque seasoning on top of your bacon weave. Being the barbeque addict that I am, I whipped up a batch of Burnt Finger BBQ’s competition pork rub for this special occasion. Seeing as not everyone has the time, or the expertise, to create a tasty rub of their own, I would recommend trying Bad Byron’s Butt Rub, Rendezvous Famous Seasoning, or Steven Raichlen’s All-Purpose Rub.



Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like. I chose to go with a mild sausage, but spicy would work just the same. If you really want to get crazy, take a stab at making your own homemade sausage.



Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack). If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy. If you like your bacon burnt to hell so the smoke detectors go off, then burn it to hell so the smoke detectors go off. These pieces are going to be a major part of the inner flavor of our sausage fatty, so cook them your favorite way. Personally, I like my bacon right at the point when it starts to get crispy, but hasn’t quite lost all of the softness yet. Regardless of how well done you like yours, you’ll need to crumble or chop the cooked strips into bite size pieces and place on top of the sausage layer. (Note-It’s okay, and encouraged, to snack on these pieces while your chopping/crumbling. But keep in mind that once those bacon morsels touch the raw sausage, you’ll need to resist all temptations to nibble. This can and will be difficult, but hospital trips are no fun, so stay strong.)


Since this is a barbeque recipe, we need to add another layer of barbeque flavor. Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. Personally, I prefer to use Burnt Finger BBQ’s homemade competition sauce, but if you’re torn on what brand to use I recommend Cowtown, Blues Hog, and Fiorella’s Jack Stack. Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbeque seasoning you used on the bacon weave.



Now comes the fun part. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.



At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item. To complte the constuction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.



Sprinkle some barbeque seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now this bad boy is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your Thermapen gives an internal temperature reading of 165 degrees. Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. Mine took about 2.5 hours, which was right on target with its 2.5 inch diameter.





Now that our Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, we need to add some finishing flavors. Remember that barbecue sauce we used for inner flavor? We’ll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce. Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they’ll give your fatty a nice glossy finish. Spicy and vinegar based sauces don’t contain as much, so they won’t set up as well. If you’re dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you’ll get the same effect.



Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage. Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, try placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit. You’ll reach pork Nirvana is no time flat!




http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

[bowener]

My roommate and I have been thinking about making this thing. But I want to ask somebody who has eaten it, how long after consumption do I need to expect a colon explosion?

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by bowener

My roommate and I have been thinking about making this thing. But I want to ask somebody who has eaten it, how long after consumption do I need to expect a colon explosion?

Like I mentioned earlier, mine wasn't really greasy. Nor did I have any problems with indigestion the night we cooked it or the night I had the leftovers. Been watching my weight, trying to knock off a few pounds and though I hadn't dropped any significant weight during the time that I had this, I didn't gain either.

I would imagin the mexican buffet I had for lunch today was more for ruining the diet and indigestion issues that the Bacon Explosion did.


FWIW, I added up the calories in the ingredients I used (obtaining calorie counts from packages were possible, estimates from the net on others - I also used cheese which is added in), came to an estimated total of about 4,200 calories for the entire log, about 3,000 total fat calories per log. My sausage role was approximately 10 inches long after cooking. Cut into 1 inch slices (10 servings) each 1 inch slice would be 420 calories with 300 calories from fat. A 1/2 inch slice would be 210 calories with 150 calories from fat.

'Course keep in mind that this was cooked on a smoker, not fried in a pan of grease, so I would assume that some of the fat had to of dripped off.

[BigRedChief]

Going to try this reciepe this weekend for the Super Bowl. Going to add in some cheese and take some of Pastor's ideas too.

[ClevelandBronco]

I'm making it as well. Adding onions and red peppers. No cheese.

[MTG#10]

I would like to try this but I dont think theres anywhere close I can find bacon that "wide".

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

I would like to try this but I dont think theres anywhere close I can find bacon that "wide".

widebacon.com

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by MTG#10

I would like to try this but I dont think theres anywhere close I can find bacon that "wide".

I just went into the local grocery store, looked through their packages of thick sliced bacon and got two of the widest cut 1.5 lb packages they had.

[Buck]

I showed this to a guy at my work around Xmas and then on my Bday on 1/21 he brought one in.

It was pretty shitty. It was like 1/4 of the size the recipe said and he fried it. Then brought it to work the next day, nuked it and then doused it w/ BBQ sauce.

It tasted like Bacon w/ BBQ sauce on it.

I wouldn't mind trying a slice of the real thing.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by BuckinKaeding

I showed this to a guy at my work around Xmas and then on my Bday on 1/21 he brought one in.

It was pretty shitty. It was like 1/4 of the size the recipe said and he fried it. Then brought it to work the next day, nuked it and then doused it w/ BBQ sauce.

It tasted like Bacon w/ BBQ sauce on it.

I wouldn't mind trying a slice of the real thing.

Not cool man. Try the real thing.

[blueballs]

Looks like it made KMBC channel 9s telecast
just did a promo for it

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Not cool man. Try the real thing.

No kidding.

This thing's WORTH buying a smoker for!

[CoMoChief]

Looks good, but bet i'd die of a heart attack before I could consume it all.

[Rain Man]

I was at a party the other night, and it was really loud, and I have trouble hearing in the midst of loud crowds. Some server came around with hors d'ouvres (sp?) and it was this little oval thing that had a bunch of gooey looking red sauce on it, and I had no idea what it was. I asked her and she said something, but I couldn't hear a word of it, so I took one and popped it in my mouth.

It was absolutely delicious, but I still couldn't identify what it was. It was bacon-wrapped, but that was all I could discern. Whatever was wrapped had a unique flavor and was slightly juicy, and the sauce was a delicious flavor reminiscent of Chinese food.

Later, when the noise died down, someone mentioned the great hors d'ouvres (sp?) and I described what I ate and asked about it. Apparently it was bacon-wrapped fig in some sort of ginger barbecue sauce.

Man, that was good. If I had known what it was, I probably wouldn't have even tried it since I typically don't like fig.

[Over-Head]

Tried a very small one last week in the broiler.
Went perfct

Getting the things for a jumbo sized one this weekend.

[Extra Point]

Congrats to the creators getting into the paper! The KCBS lady didn't give them much credit, but that doesn't matter.