Bacon – A & B Meat Market in Bend Oregon

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Alright class, settle down. I’m happy to see everyone made it because we have a special guest today. Let’s see if we can spot this mysterious person by asking a few questions. Question #1, who here really loves bacon? Show hands please, excellent. Question #2, who here doesn’t mind driving all over the darned place to buy special food treats? Show hands again, exellent. Yes Sam, I see ya. Question #3, who here would drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Bend Oregon to buy bacon? Yup, that’s right. Stand up Chilebrown.



A few weeks ago CB and his wife stopped by the Labs to pick up some custom sausages. While making light conversation and showing off my knives and grills, he mentioned they were off to Oregon. How nice I thought. He mentioned A & B Meat Market up there and was going to get bacon. How nice I thought. This was the reason for the trip, to get bacon. How nice I thought, wait !?! A two day drive to get bacon? That’s pretty fricken cool. I asked if they’d mind picking me up a hunk, no problem.
Let’s see that beautiful bacon footage again!

Ooooooh yeah.
Earlier this week I finally had a moment to myself, the wife & kids were out. I was alone, all alone, with bacon. Giddy was the feeling as I got out my camera, tripod & lights. I was formulating layouts for the bacon in my mind as I went. It was finally time to open up the package and slice up a few. First off, notice the sheer volume of meat in this bacon, impressive. I also noticed it wasn’t all squishy and didn’t cover my hands with thick oily fat, quite firm to the touch. Then as I drew it out, the smoky flavor came out, very rich smoky flavor. Then you could smell the meat itself, that was interesting to say the least. Smoky meat smell and it wasn’t even being cooked yet. I knocked off a few shots, adjusted and took a few more.
The only pan for this fine specimen is a cast iron skillet, in they went. Medium low heat for these beasts of bacon. The smoky meat smell got louder & louder as the sizzle moved about. I turned on the fan and opened the back door, everyone needed to share in the bacony wafts!
Please don’t over-cook the bacon. It really intensifies the smoke & salt and makes it too strong. You’ll be burping it up for quite some time.
The taste and texture is so much different from what I’m used to. It tastes like bacon, but feels like solid meat. The smoky goodness plays around your mouth being lead about by the fatty happiness. All the while the flavor of the pork is there doing its own thing. Swallow, wait and refresh. I had a piece and within a few minutes, most of the bright bacon flavor was gone. It didn’t coat my tongue and make me work at getting rid of it.
If you’re ever near Bend Oregon, you’ll just have to make a trip. Or if you’re anywhere near a vehicle with a tank of gas, go get some. Don’t let 500 miles shake you, it didn’t for Chilebrown and his wife.
A & B Meat Market
61223 South Highway 97
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 382-2635
Biggles

37 thoughts on “Bacon – A & B Meat Market in Bend Oregon”

  3. We are sooooo jealous over here, that we just had to get past your awesome photos as fast as possible. We used to get outstanding bacon when we lived in Colorado Springs (Andy’s Meat Market), but haven’t had anything but Oscar Meyer for the past three years. British bacon is like ass, warmed over.

  4. Moria,
    “British bacon is like ass, warmed over.”
    !!!! So funny !!!
    “Ass, warmed over” — wouldn’t that technically be “ham?”

  7. Hey Moira,
    Aw, comon. I watched tons of The Two Fat Ladies and they had GREAT bacon, streaky and otherwise. I can’t believe there ain’t no, ‘ham’ as HJ puts it.
    Hey Chef,
    Yeah no kidding. The problem is, you better well have THE best bread, THE best ‘maters and THE best lettuce to mate. Cause otherwise, it’ll be a Bacon Sandwich.
    Oh yeah.

  10. Hey Chef,
    Okay, you got me there. Yup, this would be a BLT to drive miles to have.
    Hey, I could marinate the ‘maters in your Island Spice!! HAHAHHAHHAH, the contestants better watch out man!

  11. Man, that looks pretty good. I’ll have to figure out how to get to Bend to buy me some bacon.

  13. Hey Jeanne,
    It’s good to hear from you.
    You are so correct. I felt as though I was wearing black leather pants while watching it sizzle. This was a different breed.
    Biggles

  16. Awwww jeez, Doc- the Fat Ladies must have been privy to better quality bacon than I’ve seen around here. Ham? I’ve had great ham. Sausages? I’ve had GREAT sausages. I will continue to maintain that the bacon is assy until I personally find out otherwise, though.
    Hmmm, I think I smell a quest- nyuck, nyuck.

  18. I can tell you Dr. Biggles, we just don’t get bacon like that around these parts! You bring the bacon, I’ll toast some bread…..wow…..sounds good. (we do need to add the greens and tomato, ok?)

  19. You have it so right AB Market has smoked pork chops, jerky, and beef bacon too. All of the smoking is done there and oh soooooo good. I live in LaPine, Oregon and that 30 miles away and go to ABmarkek when in Bend. You also must try the chinese food restaurant next door ( Red Dragon). The best in Bend I guarntee, always pit stop there and have lunch.

  20. Second post: I might add about the best bacon. Redmond Locker on railroad street in Redmond, Oregon which is about 15 minutes away from Bend, Oregon has much better smoked bacon then A B Meats. They also smoke all their own meats. To die for smoked bone in Ham. They have the bacon in pepper flavor etc. A must try is the very own made pork sausage. Best Jerky in Oregon also.
    Their is my two cents worth. I dont know if Redmond Locker has a web site or maybe one can call and order it send to them you will thank God for inventing food for us to eat.
    Carol

  21. Hey Moira,
    I don’t remember the Two Fat Ladies being privy, but they did (or someone did), search high and low for the best. Have you caught any of their shows? They actually give you names and places, anyone can go. I remember very clearly the bacon they had was amazing and felt really pissed off that we couldn’t get anything like that in the SF Bay Area. They called our American type bacon, streaky bacon. But they had so many others.
    Just typing about them makes me want to find the VHS or DVD of their shows, it was SO GOOD.
    Biggles

  22. Hey Carol,
    I wanted to personally stop by and thank you for posting a few comments. This is when the Internet becomes really cool. Everyone is able to share in the love of bacon and smoked goodies.
    Always feel free to stop by and offer up some good places to visit, it’s appreciated.
    Biggles

  23. Great to see two of my favorite things mentioned in one post, bacon and the Fat Ladies! Your Bend bacon is devilishly enticing — reminds me of my uncle’s smoke house on his farm. An Indian friend makes the English specialty, a bacon butty, for breakfast — bacon on buttered bread, nothin’ else. Talk about good: it’s sinful.

  25. Dear Mr. Biggles:
    I’m curious about bacon fat. I’ve been pouring it off and saving it. Can I just use it? Will it poison me? What gives? Does it last foreva?

  26. Hey Jeanne,
    It doesn’t last forever, but it does last quit well. Use it regularly and try to use what you can within 3 months. Use a cups worth in corn bread, grease the griddle, pie crust … whatever you need.
    I’ve heard of people saving it for 6 months and more, but that ain’t me. Cain’t do it.

  28. Well, I’m gonna do some searching on this and get back to you, Doc. You’ve got me wondering if I’ve been missing out on bacony goodness these past three years, and all for naught.
    I’ll let you know what I find out, and, of course, I’ll document it photographically for your bacon-lovin’ pleasure. I’m sure B.D. will be a willing and more-than-happy research assistant for this one!

  29. Hey Moira,
    I don’t remember specifically, but I believe they got some meat, of course, but maybe some bacon from local ranchers who raise hogs. I would call those ranchers and ask them.
    Biggles

  31. Hey Carol,
    Peggy and I drove by the Redmond Locker. We were searching for a Microbrewery in Redmond and made a couple of wrong turns. It took a lot of restraint not to go in. My ice chest was totaly full from A B. It will be another excuse to road trip to Oregon. Thanks

  32. If your going all the way to Bend, take another detour and stop by Emmons Meat Market, just outside of Corvallis – about 10 minutes off of I-5. They have the best jerky (beef, turkey, salmon, buffalo, venison – you name it) that I’ve ever tried.
    Emmon’s Meat Market
    29545 Highway 34
    Corvallis, OR 97333
    (541) 753-5005
    http://www.emmonsmeatmarket.com/

  33. I live in Bend Oregon and I eat at A&B quite often. If you ever get a chance to stop into bend stop at A&B for the bacon cheese burger. The best burger ever made…. EVER…..

  34. AND… the guys that own the A&B Meat Market are the NICEST guys you could ever hope to know. They’re from Hawaii, and the laid-back attitude is contagious the moment you walk in to their place.
    Get a platelunch, a Hawaii’s Own juice, and sit your butt down to a true teriyaki heaven.

  35. It’s a bummer – A&B are apparently going to close in June 2007. A severe blow to the smoked meat Force will definitely be felt.

  36. Hey, are you still there? I have friends in Bend who will buy your bacon and bring it down at Christmas time!!