I have to admit, I’m a creature of habit. Some would say closer to your red bearded bucktoothed creature more than anything else. I require my wooden spatulas to be in that one red container, no spoons wooden or otherwise. My fry pans are returned to the place from which they sprung. My wood handled sandwich knife goes on the magnetic knife holder located on the right and at the lower position. If these items aren’t there, they’re in the process of being cleaned. I search for nothing. I bask in the warm glow that my items are just where I need them, when I need them.
What is it that I allow to vary? What is it that curls my toes when I find something new? What is it that calms my life long collection of psychoses?

Bacon.

It’s bacon I desire. I love how when you open the cool package of cured/smoked pork smell wafts out. It’s nearly like walking through a rain forest in early January with your panther friends. The excitement escalates when I get to warm my cast iron fry pan and know that I’m going to be seasoning it with yet another pork product. Cast iron really likes pork, it smiles at me and thanks me each time. As I lay the bacon down to play, it sizzles with delight. Not too much heat, just enough to razzle the pieces. See, if the pan is too hot, your bacon will curl, kick and spit at you. It hates that, don’t do it. This bacon is sliced nice and thick, so it’s comfortable in my pan. It’s at this point that the cool refreshing cured pork aroma changes ever so slightly and starts to wake up. Soon it’s swimming around and getting brown here and there. Keep watch! Don’t allow burnage or hard crispy to form. Unless you like that, then by all means go ahead! But I enjoy mine on the fresh and chewy side with some bits.
Why is this bacon so special? See, I didn’t buy this batch from Safeway, Mega-Lo Mart or even Whole Foods. I bought this bacon from Fatted Calf and it’s Taylor’s hand that has been playing with cures, rinds and smoke times. This last weekend I was milling about at the stall, rooting around to see if I could find something different. I picked up this package of bacon and noticed the name was, “Rind On Bacon”. SHIT YEAH !!! Rind on? Right on. What’s a rind? The rind is a portion of the skin that’s left on the outter edge of the pork belly. It adds another layer of flavor and texture you just can’t get without it. It’s a little chewy with a rick porky flavor, wonderful. Some producers have it and some don’t. Taylor added it and I have to say he was able to make his bacon product even better, without a doubt.

How does it taste? Well, the thicker cut of slices will lend you a far richer pork flavor, you get to know the meat. Plus it gives you more rind to gum around your mouth for a time, that’s love. The cure goes a little salty, but not enough to make you make the scrunchy face. And then, right when you’ve tasted it, the sugar end comes up and clears the way for the smoky goodness to stop by for a spell. Personally, this cure tastes different and nicer than the last. This is an excellent bacon contender. And I will most certainly be purchasing another happy package. I would like a larger pack though. Mine was a little under a pound and not quite enough for the family to get the bacon they need. This package was particularly fun because each bacon piece was shaped slightly like a turkey leg, so you got a nice heavy paddle end, such a treat.
Thank you Taylor and thank you Team Fatted Calf for all the hard work and making our lives that much nicer.
Biggles