BACON

Smoked Bacon Ends... Nothing Better

Here is the only problem with the Story City Locker -

you will easily become spoiled with/addicted to their amazing products.  On a recent trip to the locker, I picked up a 1.15lb package of smoked bacon ends... 

Have you ever had bacon ends?  No?  Well, neither had I.  I wasn't

exactly sure what they would look like, or what I would do with them.  However, I used about 1/2lb of this package the first time I cooked it, and it was probably the best bacon I have ever eaten.  Between the amazing quality of the bacon itself, the perfect cut, and the strong, smooth, smoky flavor, I still cannot get enough.

I wanted to put these bacon ends on every dish and in every meal.  This particular package lasted my family for two meals.  Both of these recipes were easy and fun to prepare, so give them a try and enjoy!

BLT Pizza

What you need:

1 Pizza Crust 

1/2 lb Smoked Bacon Ends

1/2 cup Honey Mustard

1.5 tbsp Mayo

2/3 cup Shredded Cheese (white cheddar, medium cheddar or mozzarella)

1 handful of Button Mushrooms, quartered

Balsamic Vinegar

1/3-1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

Salt & Italian seasoning

1 handful Romain Lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces

1/2 of a large ripe avocado

Pecorino Romano Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the bacon into 1/2", or 3/4" cubes.  In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, tossing often to cook evenly.  This will take about 5-10 minutes, do not allow bacon to become too crispy.  When bacon is done, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel, leaving the grease in the pan over medium heat.  Set bacon aside.  Add the quartered mushrooms to the hot pan and saute for 1 minute.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and continue to saute for another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Combine the honey mustard and mayo in a small bowl, the spread evenly on the pizza crust, reserving 1-2 tbsp for topping later.  *I usually make my own pizza crusts from scratch, but you can use any kind you like.  Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.  Top with the browned bacon ends and sauteed mushrooms.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins to bubble.  Remove from oven and turn oven off.  

While pizza is baking, toss the halved cherry tomatoes with a generous sprinkling of sea salt and Italian seasoning.  Also, cut the avocado half into 1/4"-1/2" pieces.  When the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with the tomato, avocado, lettuce, and a little Pecorino Romano cheese.  Drizzle with reserved honey mustard and serve immediately.

Cirtus Chicken & Smoky Bacon Grillers w/ Chipotle-Tequila Glaze

What you need:

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-1.5" chunks

Juice of 1/2 a Lime

Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

Juice of 1 Small Orange (or 1/2 large orange)

2 Cloves Garlic, miced

1/2 Anaheim Pepper, finely chopped

grill seasoning, such as Grilla Gorilla X (Saltlickers)

sweet & spicy seasoning mix, such as Cha Cha Lima (Saltlickers)

1/2 lb Smoked Bacon Ends cut into thick chunks
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup Tequila
1/2 cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1-2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Adobo Sauce
(optional) 1 small Chipotle Pepper, finely chopped
(optional) 1/2 tsp Sriracha Sauce
Zest of 1 Lime
1 tbsp fresh Lime Juice

Place the cut chicken into a shallow bowl and add the fresh fruit juices, minced garlic and finely chopped Anaheim pepper.  Sprinkle with roughly one teaspoon of each seasoning.  We love GGX from Saltlickers, but you can use whatever spicy grill seasoning you have on hand.  If you do not have any of Saltlickers' Cha Cha Lima, you can mix together a bit of sugar, lime zest and chili powder, OR you can visit www.salt-lickers.com and order a jar of Cha Cha, along with any of their other unique mixtures!  Toss everything just enough to coat the evenly with the marinade.  Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.  
Before grilling, remove chicken from fridge and bring to room temp.  Lightly brown the bacon ends in a skillet over medium heat with a light dusting of freshly cracked black pepper, for no more than 5 minutes.  Remove bacon from skillet and cool on a paper towel.
Start your grill and bring to medium-high temperature.  Thread the chicken and bacon chunks onto metal skewers in the following pattern:  chicken-chicken-bacon (then repeat).
Place skewers on the hot grill, in a position to cook as evenly as possible.  Cook on the grill for about 10-12 minutes, rotating each skewer 95 degrees every 2-3 minutes.  When the chicken is cooked through, carefully remove the skewers from the grill.
To make the glaze, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add miced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add tequila.  Bring to a simmer, add orange juice and continue simmering for 5 minutes.  Whisk in cornstarch and brown sugar, then Adobo sauce, Chipotle pepper and Sriracha if using.  Continue simmering for a couple more minutes, whisking often.  Lastly, whisk in the lime zest and juice, then remove from heat.
Serve grillers drizzled with tequila glaze and a flavorful rice on the side - we had a cilantro lime rice, but you can make any kind you like.  Enjoy!