Bacon Jerky

Lest ye think that my devotion to this blog is insincere, I’ll tell you about my waking thoughts today: Bacon Jell-O. That’s what I was dreaming about when I woke up, and I thought, “Yes! Perfect! I’m sure I can find a photo of a perfectly molded Jell-O ring with strips of bacon in it.” Such is my delusional devotion to the pork belly that I believed this dream could come true. Alas, I will have to make it myself. Which, now that the sleep has been rubbed from my brain, I doubt I will do anytime soon.

On a brighter note, BaconFreak recently got FDA approval for their new line of Bacon Jerkys. I was fortunate to get a sneak preview of a few of these new releases, so I’ve got the inside scoop for you. I was able to sample both the Honey BBQ and “BLT” (sun-dried tomato) flavors. Right off the bat you notice that, unlike beef or turkey jerky, bacon jerky retains a lot of moisture, presumably because there’s so much fat in the cut. The fatty parts are relatively soft, and make for a totally unique texture experience. I liked it! The strips are thick cut but, since bacon is cut against the grain, you don’t have to gnaw your way through any long, stringy parts. And, depending on what you like about jerky, that could be either a bonus or a drawback. As with all the BaconFreak products I’ve tried, the spices used to flavor the meat were great, especially the Honey BBQ.

I also sampled the Cajun Ham Jerky. While the flavor was very good, for my money the slice was too thick. It was great for a piece of dry-cured meat, but didn’t fit my definition of jerky. With that in mind, it would be an awesome backpacking item for you campfire cooks because it’s sealed airtight with an extensive shelf life. It’s a great way to put some delicious protein into soups or breakfast recipes without having to tote less enduring meat products in an already full pack.

So there you have it. From Bacon Jell-O to Bacon Jerky…I wonder what we’ll dream up next.