Food

Bacon Hash recipe

Zingerman’s 4th Annual Camp Bacon is coming soon and to help get everyone prepared, we’re sharing tasty excerpts and recipes from Ari’s book, Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon

pig-reading-bacon-bookBacon hash

This hash has turned out to be a big hit with most everyone who’s had it. It’s an excellent way to take advantage of the big flavor of top-of-the-line bacons. The bacon is the headliner rather than just a couple of strips alongside another main dish. I like making it with the dry-cured intensity of the Broadbent’s, Benton’s, Father’s, or Edwards’, but it would really work with any good bacon.

You can make the recipe a day or tow in advance if you like, then reheat it in a skillet when you’re ready to serve. Regardless, you’ll want to cook both the bacon and potatoes and let them cool before you move on to the rest of the recipe. Serve with rye toast and a couple of poached eggs if you like, as well.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons rendered bacon fat
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 10 ounces sliced bacon (about 5 to 7 slices), lightly cooked and shopped
  • 2 pounds potatoes (I like Yukon Golds, German Butterballs, or others of that ilk), steamed over salted water until tender, then diced with the skins on
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Coarse sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper to taste

Procedure:

Melt the bacon fat in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook, covered, for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft.

Sprinkle the flour over the wilted vegetables and stir well to avoid lumps. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly to keep from sticking, until the flour blends with the bacon fat into a thickened roux.

Add the broth, a bit at a time, stirring well after each addition so the mixture stays smooth and creamy. The sauce should coat the back of your spoon before you add more liquid. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

Continue simmering the sauce over moderate heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the bacon and potatoes and mix well. Add the cream and cook, stirring, a few more minutes. Stir in salt and freshly ground pepper tot taste.

Serve immediately, or cool and reheat in a skillet until you get a nice golden brown crust.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish.

SEE YOU AT CAMP!