Cooked-to-Order BBQ Ribs, Brisket & Pulled Pork Now Available!

Are you too busy to cook on a smoker, or live someplace where you can't use a grill or smoker?

Do you long for slow-smoked brisket the way it's done in Texas, or authentic Memphis ribs so tender that they pull apart with the gentlest tug, or genuine pulled-pork barbecue like they serve in the Carolinas?

Do you wish you could get championship-quality BBQ and side dishes delivered to your home?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, I have good news:

The Carolina Sauce Company is now your online source for real wood-smoked BBQ, courtesy of our partnership with Pig of the Month BBQ!

Pig of the Month BBQ is a small, family-owned and operated business that's passionate about barbecue and good food. And thanks to their commitment to making authentic barbecue the old-fashioned way and the modern wonders of the internet , you can now buy BBQ online from them and have it delivered to your home! (That is, if you live in the continental US.  They cannot deliver overseas or to APO/FPO addresses because of the perishable nature of their products.)

The folks at Pig of the Month specialize in making REAL barbeque according to traditional recipes from different regions of the US, and cooking it the old-fashioned way: Wood-smoked, cooked low and slow, and naturally seasoned. All of their meats are 100% natural, free range, anti-biotic free and hormone-free. They even offer a variety of gluten-free products, too.  Everything is cooked and prepared upon order for optimum flavor, then lash-frozen and express-shipped on dry ice with easy instructions for thawing and reheating.

Pig of the Month BBQ offers "a la carte" and "complete meal" packages, plus monthly clubs so that you'll never have to go longer than 30 days without experiencing great BBQ. From smoked beef brisket to Carolina pulled pork, Texas style baby backs to Memphis style ribs (wet OR dry), plus a variety of sausages, gourmet bacon, beef jerky, traditional sides like baked beans and even pimento cheese, chocolate covered bacon and other zesty treats, they have it all. One taste and you'll understand why Pig of the Month has won awards and received effusive praise and well-deserved accolades from countless satisfied customers and duly impressed food critics.

Treat yourself to great homemade barbecue without all the long hours and hard work involved in making it yourself -- or send that special someone an unforgettable barbecue gift from Pig of the Month BBQ.

Click here or on the banner below for more information or to order online, and tell them Carolina Sauce sent you.



Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Pig of the Month BBQ is just one of the great new partners we're working with for specialty meats and gourmet cheeses. Visit our recently updated Meats & Cheese page to browse our offerings.

Quick Tip: Bacon-Roasted Garlic (and Garlic Bacon)

Roasting garlic & bacon

If you're planning on cooking bacon and roasting garlic, here's a zesty tip:

Cook them together in your oven!

Cooking bacon in your oven is easier and less messy than frying it on your stove. And roasting the garlic cloves together with bacon produces mouthwatering results, both for the bacon AND the roasted garlic.

All you need to do is follow my instructions for cooking bacon in your oven, but before you put the tray of bacon in your oven add the raw garlic cloves to the tray, on or among the strips of bacon. The garlic will roast in the fat that renders as the bacon cooks, and both will be done at the same time. Especially if you place some garlic on the bacon, the bacon will pick up a subtle garlic flavor while the roasted garlic cloves will have a hint of smoky, meaty bacon flavor for a buttery richness and depth that's simply not possible when roasting "conventionally" in oil.

Here's an added bonus when you cook bacon and roast garlic together: If you save your bacon fat for cooking and using in recipes, this batch of bacon fat will be infused with marvelous roasted-garlic flavor!

Do you have a quick tip for bacon or garlic, or both? If so, please share it in a comment below, or post it on the Carolina Sauce Facebook page.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  If there's no such thing as too much garlic for you, be sure to browse our selection of garlic sauces & condiments, where you'll find everything from garlic hot sauce to garlic pickles, garlic mushrooms and more.

BLT Soup

Shop online for bacon

This hearty bacon soup was inspired by the classic BLT sandwich, and will warm you up on a cold winter's day or night.

It's easier to make with a double boiler (to prevent curdling) but can be made in a soup pot with care.

Ingredients
10 slices bacon
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups half & half
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, well-drained
1 cup chopped iceberg lettuce
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Opt: 1 tsp (or to taste) Bacon Hot Sauce

Double Boiler

Fry the bacon, reserve the fat and let bacon drain on paper towels. Measure out 1/3 of the bacon fat into the top of a double boiler or into a soup pot, stir in the flour and cook over direct medium-high heat a couple of minutes until bubbly, stirring frequently. Pour in broth and stir well. Cook until thickened, stirring regularly. Put water in the bottom of the double boiler (if using) and place over direct heat, then put top of double boiler over the bottom and stir in the half & half. If using a regular soup pot, reduce heat to low after broth has thickened, let cool for a bit and then slowly pour in the half & half, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Slowly bring heat back up to medium-low and stir in tomatoes. Cover and simmer very gently for half an hour. Before serving, crumble in the cooked bacon, stir in the chopped lettuce and the hot sauce if using. Taste for balance and add salt if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Bacon-Wrapped Feta Bites

Bacon-wrapped feta cheese bites are a deliciously decadent appetizer or hors d'oeuvres that are a guaranteed hit at any party or gathering. They're ridiculously easy to make, and all you need is thinly-sliced bacon, a good-quality feta cheese, and a frying pan.

Feta cheese works well not only because its tangy flavor complements the savory-smoky meatiness of bacon, but also because it melts somewhat slowly, thus allowing the bacon to cook fully without the cheese turning into a greasy puddle.

The following recipe and photos are from my sister-in-law Cathy Aki.

1. You need one strip of thin-cut bacon per cube of feta cheese. Cathy used a block of herbed feta cheese from Belgium, and she says that a good cheese makes a big difference.

2.  Cut the feta into small cubes so that you can wrap a slice of bacon completely around all sides of the cheese. Place a cube at the end of a strip of bacon, then begin rolling at that end to wrap the cheese with bacon, turning as needed to cover all sides.

3. Place the bacon-wrapped feta cubes in a frying pan, leaving space between them and placing each with the end of the bacon facing the pan--this will help "seal" it as it fries so that you don't need to use toothpicks to secure.

Fry until all sides of the bacon are cooked (a few minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs). Cathy says that some of the cheese will melt out, but that's just extra goodness. When fully cooked, remove from pan and allow to cool on paper towels for a couple of minutes because the cheese will be HOT and could otherwise burn your mouth.

Enjoy "as is" or dip in your favorite dipping sauce if you wish.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Bacon PepperJack Cornbread

If you love bacon and enjoy savory (not sweet) cornbread, this zesty, cheesy, bacony cornbread is for you.  Although I recommend baking it in a cast iron skillet, you can use an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan if that's all you have.

You'll notice that I use nonfat plain Greek yogurt in this recipe, instead of sour cream or milk. I find that the nonfat yogurt results in superior texture and just as rich a flavor without all of the fat in whole milk or sour cream. Given the fat in the bacon, cheese and eggs, it makes sense (at least to those of us trying to eat healthier) to use a nonfat alternative to sour cream if it works just as well and doesn't compromise flavor. In fact, I've made this cornbread using full-fat sour cream, and the texture seemed too moist and almost greasy.  Additionally, because many reduced-fat or nonfat sour creams contain artificial ingredients, gums or stabilizers, a natural non-fat Greek yogurt strikes me as a healthier choice.

Without further ado, here is my recipe for Bacon Pepper Jack Cornbread.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup cornmeal
2 Tbs flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 to 8 strips crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled (reserve the grease)
6 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, cut into small cubes*

*You can substitute cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese if you prefer

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease the inside of an 8" to 10" cast-iron skillet or an 8" or 9" square baking pan with the reserved bacon grease. If using a skillet, place the greased skillet in the oven to heat as you mix the ingredients.

In a small bowl combine the 3 wet ingredients--I used a whisk to mix well. In a large bowl, combine the 4 dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until thoroughly incorporated--the batter will be stiff and relatively dry. Gently fold in the cheese and half of the crumbled bacon, then transfer into the hot, greased skillet (I use a silicone spatula to fold in the bacon & cheese, scrape all the batter out and then gently smooth the top). Sprinkle with the remaining crumbled bacon, then bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If you have any leftovers, allow to cool completely then wrap in plastic and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator (it will keep for a few days, but I bet you'll eat it all before then).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  If you want to add some spicy heat, add a few splashes of Bacon Hot Sauce when mixing together the wet ingredients.

How to Cook Bacon in Your Oven

Oven-Cooked Bacon

Until yesterday, I had almost always cooked bacon in a skillet or frying pan on the stove. The "almost" refers to one misguided attempt at cooking bacon in a microwave oven, said method resulting in unappealingly flaccid, anemic-looking bacon and a greasy mess involving environmentally unfriendly quantities of paper towels.

Today I decided to make bacon in my (conventional) oven, after hearing from friends about this method and finding articles on the internet proclaiming the wonders--or at least the convenience--of oven-cooked bacon. Oven-cooking bacon is touted as easier and less messy than pan-frying because no turning is involved, no splattering occurs, and the resulting flat strips of bacon are ideal for BLTs, hamburgers and other sandwiches.

Being someone who doesn't believe everything she reads on the internet, I approached this experiment with doubt and skepticism, a large roll of paper towels and a fire extinguisher, just in case.

The first decision I had to make was whether to preheat the oven or to turn the oven on only after placing the bacon in the oven. I chose the "cold oven" method  simply because it would take slightly longer and I needed the time to prep other ingredients for the dinner recipe I would make with the cooked bacon.

Next, I had to choose whether to lay the bacon strips on a baking pan, on which they would cook in their own glorious grease, or to place them on a ridged broiler pan or a cooling rack placed over a baking pan so that the rendered bacon fat would drip down and result in "healthier," "less fatty" bacon (which, in my opinion, somewhat defeats the purpose of bacon). Having a sufficiently large oven, I decided to use both methods simultaneously in order to compare the results.

After laying the raw bacon on the foil-lined baking pan and the cooling racks precariously balanced over a pan, I carefully placed both pans on the center rack in my cold oven, turned the oven up to 400°F, and set my timer for 15 minutes. I then left the oven alone while I worked on other things, and resisted the urge to take a peek when the seductive scent of of cooking bacon began to tease my nose. When the buzzer sounded, I checked the bacon for doneness and found that neither set of bacon was fully cooked after only 15 minutes, although the bacon sizzling on the foil-covered pan had made more progress than the strips suspended on the rack. This observation was consistent with what I had read in several articles, most of which called for a 17- to 20-minute baking time when using the cold oven method. Thus I returned the pans to the oven and set my timer for an additional 3 minutes.

Back in the oven to cook longer (the bacon in the pan was a little more cooked)

When the buzzer sounded for the second time, it took me an additional minute or so before I was able to remove the pans from the oven, so the complete cooking time was probably close to 20 minutes. This time, the bacon looked crispy, with bronzed-pink and golden color, plenty of percussive sizzling (you can see the frothy fat bubbling on the strips on the pan below), and emitting that unmistakable bacon aroma. Below are the results:

As recommended by various online sources, I immediately transferred the cooked bacon to a large plate lined in paper towels to absorb excess grease.

My observations: To my surprise, the bacon suspended on the racks seemed no less greasy than that cooked directly on the pan in its own rendered fat. The suspended bacon, however, didn't crisp as much as the "oven-fried" bacon in the foil-lined pan, but this difference was minor. Once they were all placed on the paper towels and had "rested" for a minute, it was difficult to tell which strips had been cooked in which manner.

My verdict: Oven-cooking method is indeed quite easy, fool-proof and convenient, especially if your goal is crispy, flat bacon requiring minimal post-cooking cleanup. If effortless cleanup is most important, then forget the rack method and stick with the foil-lined pan. Not only did the rack method require careful handling to keep the bacon from falling through the spaces, but the racks had to be cleaned after cooking. In contrast, the foil kept the pan from getting dirty and I simply lifted out the foil, folded it up to pour the rendered fat into a container, and then discarded the foil. The rack-cooked bacon didn't seem to have rendered any more grease than the pan-cooked bacon, thus eliminating any "health" advantage to the more complicated rack method. 

In sum, cooking bacon in your oven at 400°F on a foil-lined pan produces crispy, yummilicious bacon with little effort and virtually no mess--and no fire extinguisher required. Using your oven frees you and your stove to cook or do other things while the bacon cooks. And if your goal is to make flat strips of bacon for sandwiches, definitely forget the frying pan and use your oven. Just remember to start checking on the bacon after 15 minutes of cooking, or sooner if using a preheated oven, because ovens heat up at different rates and vary in their efficiency.

Zestfully yours,

Gloria

PS: If you can't get enough bacon flavor in your life but don't care for adding more fat or cholesterol to your diet, simply use some of our bacon-flavored sauces and condiments, such as Bacon Hot Sauce or Bacon Ketchup (and we have more coming soon)! And of course we also have the real deal, from old-fashioned dry-cured, hickory smoked North Carolina bacon to many varieties of gourmet, flavored and specialty bacon.

Bacon Mustard is Here!

Jim Beam Bacon Mustard

There's a popular saying that "bacon makes everything better" (or, if you prefer, "everything's better with bacon"), so it should come as no surprise that bacon makes that ubiquitous cookout condiment, yellow mustard, MUCH better.

Jim Beam Bacon Mustard might look like your everyday mustard when you first squeeze it out of the bottle, but once you taste it you'll discover a whole new realm of deliciousness. Beginning with a traditional ballpark-style yellow mustard-turmeric-vinegar base that's a little bit tangy and pungent, a splash of real Jim Beam Kentucky bourbon whiskey adds mellow depth and hints of caramel while natural bacon flavor provides a subtle smoky meatiness that will have your mouth watering at first bite.
This is the kind of mustard that will tempt hard-core vegetarians into becoming "closet" bacon-eaters.

If you're wondering what it's good on, then you're thinking too much: Jim Beam Bacon Mustard tastes like bacon and so it makes EVERYTHING better, of course! In all seriousness, however, it's a natural with burgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, sausage, ham or turkey sandwiches and all other meat-related "applications." It also adds smoky, bacon-y richness to deviled eggs and prepared salads that call for mustard--especially chicken salad made from smoked chicken, or everyday egg or pasta salad and the like. And you can substitute bacon mustard for ordinary supermarket yellow mustard in any other recipes calling for mustard if you want to enhance the flavor.

Jim Beam Bacon Mustard and many other hard-to-find mustard and ketchup products, are now on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company online store.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're looking for some bacon ketchup to go with the bacon mustard, we have it: Check out Slappin' Fat Bacon Ketchup, also on sale.

How to Make Spicy Bacon Moonshine

Flickr photo by Daniel Krueger

Bacon vodka has gained some notoriety among baconistas and others who enjoy their bloody marys, caesars and other drinks with a touch of bacon flavor. Also popular, although perhaps not as notorious, are chile pepper infused vodka and tequila. As far as I know, however, no one has infused alcohol with both bacon AND hot peppers, nor has anyone used moonshine (the legal stuff available in liquor stores) to make either a bacon or a chile-infused liquor. The following recipe remedies this glaring omission from the panoply of baconalia.

Admittedly, I haven't tried making this spicy bacon moonshine--yet. But when I do, this is my plan. And I will post my review on this blog after I've made it.

In the meantime, if you are brave enough to try this recipe, or if you have your own recipe for making a bacon-infused spicy moonshine, vodka, tequila or other such liquor, please do share your thoughts or recipe with us in a comment--and photos are welcome, too!

You'll need a quart-size canning jar (e.g., mason jar) or two pint-size canning jars for making this concoction, and then another quart or liter-sized (or two pint size) sterilized glass bottles or jars for storing the finished product.  You'll also need cheesecloth and possibly also a paper coffee filter or two for straining the liquor.

Ingredients

Buy NC Bacon

6 slices bacon
14 dried cayenne peppers or other small/thin dried red chiles
1 quart or liter of moonshine (legal, although we won't tell if it's not), or vodka or tequila

Fry the bacon, then drain on paper towels, blot off as much grease as possible and allow to cool.  Place the chiles in the sterilized jar.  Add the bacon--if using pint jars and the strips are too long, simply break in half.  Pour in the alcohol, close tightly with lid, and store in a cool, dark cupboard for 3 weeks.

After 3 weeks, place the jar(s) in your freezer overnight to solidify the bacon fat. When it's solid, remove the jar(s) from the freezer and remove the solidified fat plus the bacon strips (tongs would make this easier). Discard the fat and the bacon--from what I've read in other recipes, it won't taste good so there's no point in saving it.  Cover the top of the jar with a double layer of cheese cloth and then carefully strain into the sterilized storage bottle(s). Discard the peppers and any other strained solids. You can repeat this process using a coffee filter to strain more finely if desired.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top Ten Weirdest Bacon Products

Our partner Bacon Freak sells some mighty good bacon in a variety of styles and flavors. But they also offer some mighty strange bacon products, both edible and inedible (the latter sometimes unintentionally). Here's my list of the top ten weirdest bacon products, counting down to number one:

10. The Bacon Wallet: This wallet gives new meaning to the expression "bringing home the bacon." Put your money where your bacon is, in your hip pocket. This whimsical bacon wallet measures 4-1/4" x 3-3/4" (10.8 cm x 9.5 cm) and is made of faux leather (you didn't really think it was made from real bacon, did you???), and has plenty of pockets to hold your hard-earned cash, driver's license or ID, and plenty of plastic (credit or debit cards, club/discount cards, etc.). Get one for yourself, and send them as gifts to fellow bacon fanatics--Gift boxes available, too.

9. Bacon Scented Candle: Fill your kitchen--or any room--with the intoxicating aroma of bacon cooking on the stove, but without the splatter or the dirty frying pan, and it's fat-free, cholesterol-free and has zero calories, too! Enjoy your bacon without having to eat it when you burn this long-lasting (75+ hours) candle that's made in the USA. Every "man cave," game room, hunt camp and clubhouse needs one of these babies for "mood lighting." This bacon-scented candle makes a great gift for guys and anyone else who loves bacon but really shouldn't eat it every day.

8. Bacon People: Weirdly charming, each little "bacon person" is unique and eager to be your lifelong buddy and traveling companion on all your adventures. Bacon people make the best friends: they'll never let you down, nag you, spread nasty rumors, or spill the beans. They'll listen to your problems, let you watch what you want on TV, and accept you just the way you are. Lovingly handmade in the USA, bacon people are approximately 6 inches long by 2 inches wide with bendable arms and legs. Each bacon doll comes adorably packaged (it's perfect for gift giving!) with an artistic license and bacon birth certificate.You'll never be lonely again when you have a bacon buddy by your side!

7. Bacon Drink Tabs: These effervescent tablets add fizzy bacon flavor to water and any other liquid you drop them into. Bored by plain milk? Make bacon-flavored milk with these Bacon Drink Tabs! Want a bacon-flavored ice cream float? Yep, these tablets will help you concoct one.  How about a bacon-flavored iced coffee or iced latte? Sure! Let your imagination be your guide when you create all sorts of bizarre bacon-flavored drinks by adding Bacon Drink Tabs to water, juices, soda, iced tea or coffee, and any other liquid. Just imagine the pranks you could play on unsuspecting coworkers, family members, colleagues, roommates, frat brothers or sorority sisters, and anyone else taking an unsuspecting swig... Makes a great Christmas stocking stuffer or bachelor's party novelty, and gift box packaging is available, too.

6. Bacon Dental Floss: No more excuses for not flossing daily. Use this bacon-flavored dental floss and you'll happily floss every day (heck, more than once a day!), guaranteeing to impress your dentist at your next check-up. They say that bacon makes everything better, so why not dental floss? Enjoy the mouthwatering flavor of crispy, perfectly-fried bacon while taking good care of your pearly whites. Dental hygiene never tasted so good! Each 2-1/2" (6.4 cm) tall plastic dispenser contains 27.3 yards (25 m) of waxed bacon-flavored floss, and comes with an illustrated blistercard. Order bacon floss for every bacon-loving member of your family, and keep a dispenser in each bathroom, plus one in your travel bag, another in your purse (no more parsley between the teeth after lunch!), in your desk drawer at work, etc. Bacon dental floss makes a fun gift for your favorite dental hygienist, dentist or other dental office professional.

5. Bacon Frosting: No doubt you've already heard of chocolate-covered bacon and bacon cupcakes, right? So why not bacon frosting? This dark red bacon-flavored frosting is a bacon-loving cake decorator's or baker's dream come true. Keep a tube of Bacon Frosting on hand to finish off a dessert masterpiece, add a sweet smoky garnish to any dish, or indulge in a delicious squirt right onto your tongue (don't worry, no one's watching and we won't tell). Decorate any cake, cupcake, brownie, cookie, or even a bowl of ice cream with some bacon frosting for a sweet & savory treat. Squeeze it onto pancakes or waffles, or even into a bowl of oatmeal or other hot cereal, for bacony flavor at breakfast without having to clean a frying pan or the splatter of frying bacon. Rumor has it the astronauts have been asking for bacon in a tube for decades, but you can enjoy it at home! Each tube of bacon frosting is 5" tall by 2" wide and holds 2.1 oz (60g) of frosting.

4. Bacon Soda: Admittedly, this one pushes the limits of palatability. But if you've always wanted to have your bacon and drink it too, then bacon soda might be just what you need. Bubbly, a little bit sweet, and startingly bacony, this soda is either pure genius or utter madness--you decide. There have been other bacon-flavored sodas on the market, and they've been less-than-favorably received, but rumor has it that this particular brand from Bacon Freak is far superior (I confess I haven't tried any of them, so don't look to me for a personal review). Bacon soda is available in single bottles and also by the six-pack at a discount. If you decide to try it, please leave a comment on this blog to let us know if you like it, what it really tastes like, and anything else you'd like to say about bacon soda.

3. Mr. Bacon's Big Adventure Board Game: Yes, bacon is now a board game. What's next, bacon the video game? Or perhaps the interactive 3-D bacon adventure? Bacon Freak boasts that this is by far the most mouth-watering meat-centric board game ever created--and we can't dispute that claim, because we don't actually know of ANY other meat-centric board games. As you move your bacon character along the path through Meatland you'll have to navigate your way through areas like the Mustard Marsh, the Wiener Wasteland and the Sausage Sea. The first player to make it to the frying pan at the end of the trail wins the game! Mr. Bacon's Big Adventure Board Game comes with a gameboard with spinner, four game pieces with plastic stands, twenty-four game cards, and alternate rules that turn the game into "a gluttonous meat feast" (their words, not mine). The game comes in a 18-1/2" x 9-1/2" x 1-3/4" (47 cm x 24.1 cm x 4.4 cm) illustrated box and is shrink-wrapped. Perfect for the entire family, this old-fashioned board game will provide hours of wholesome fun for bacon-loving kids of all ages.

2. Bacon Perfume: According to an old saying, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. If he loves bacon, then presumably he'll find you irresistible if you wear bacon perfume. And apparently some women find bacon-scented guys irresistible as well, because Fargginay's Bacon Classic Fragrance Spray is designed for use by both men and women (unisex perfumes and colognes are all the rage these days, so I guess this qualifies as a "cutting edge" fragrance).  The "Classic" bacon perfume is described as "a sophisticated spicy maple fragrance with just a hint of bacon, and the fun is in finding it. This artisanal Classic formula is lovingly crafted with the pure essential oil blend of bergamot, orange, lime, grapefruit, black pepper, cedar wood, vetiver, guaiacwood and two pinches of Bacon salty goodness." But wait, there's also another version, called Fargginay's Bacon Gold Fragrance Spray, which is also designed to be worn and enjoyed by both women and men. This one is described as "a memorable sizzling citrus aroma with an ever so slight hint of bacon, and the fun is in finding it. This artisanal Gold formula is lovingly crafted with a pure essential oil blend of mandarin, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, nutmeg, pimento berry, black pepper & a touch of sweet, a smidgen of savory, and one pinch of Bacon salty goodness." If the scent of frying bacon makes you or your beloved swoon, or if you want to catch the eye (or nose?) of a bacon-loving hottie, choose one (or both!) of these bacon-scented perfumes to make an unforgettable impression.

1. The Porky Pooper: Frankly, I'm at a loss for words about this truly bizarre and not exactly appetizing bacon product. But then again, if folks will spend big bucks to drink coffee brewed from beans pooped out by a civet cat, then why not offer an inexpensive toy pig that poops out bacon-flavored jelly beans??? Described by Bacon Freak as "Oinking good fun," this little pink plastic pig trots out "tasty treats" when you flick his tail (I'm guessing it's a male pig...). The Porky Pooper is perfect for any bacon-lover with a twisted sense of humor, and makes an amusing holiday stocking stuffer or any-occasion gag gift.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Best-Selling Meats & Cheese for 2011

We began offering meats and cheese on the Carolina Sauce Company website through our new partners in the latter half of 2011. Here are the five most popular meat and cheese products for last year.

1. Bone-In Whole Cooked Country Ham: These award-winning country hams come from Johnston County, NC, and come ready to serve.  Slow-cooked, fully-trimmed and finished with an old-fashioned brown sugar glaze for succulent flavor, whole hams range between 7 to 10 lbs each.  Smaller "buffet" style hams are also available, as well as boneless whole hams and packs of pre-sliced country hams. You can find these and more on our Country Ham page.

2. Dry-Cured NC Bacon:  Hailing from Johnston County, this thick-cut bacon is dry-cured and hickory-smoked for succulent, mouthwatering favor and irresistible aroma. The special aging process keeps this bacon from shrinking as it cooks, unlike the cheap mass-produced commercial bacon from the supermarket. This dry-cured North Carolina bacon is available pre-sliced for convenience, or in 2 lb. slabs if you prefer to cut your bacon as needed.

3. Boneless Buffet Style Cooked Country Ham: This is THE ham you'll want to serve for Easter, Christmas and any other special occasion, and it also makes an impressive choice for Sunday dinner.  Averaging about 3 lbs in weight, it's perfect for smaller families.  The old-fashioned flavor is deep and rich, and the buttery texture is sublime. Each ham comes ready-to-serve, vacuum-sealed and in a traditional cloth bag.

4. Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese:  One taste of this remarkable, robust cheese and you'll never reach for the green can again.  Imported from Italy, this authentic parmigiano-reggiano cheese is made from unpasteurized part-skim cow's milk and boasts a full, pungent flavor that will enhance all of your favorite Italian dishes from pasta to pizza to chicken or eggplant parm.  The firm texture is perfect for shredding and grating, and you can also serve pieces as part of a cheese plate with walnuts and pears, or drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar or honey.  You can find other fine cheeses, both domestic and imported, on our Cheese & Cheese Gifts page.

5. Bacon Gift Certificate from Bacon Freak:  Every bacon-lover will appreciate a gift certificate redeemable for bacon, bacon-flavored condiments and foods, bacon-themed apparel and accessories, and even bacon-scented cologne. These electronic bacon gift certificates are available in a wide range of amounts to fit any budget, can be printed out if you prefer to give a paper certificate, and they never expire.  We also offer gift certificates for many other types of foods, including hot sauces & BBQ sauces, gourmet imports and more, and you'll find them on our Gift Certificates page.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  All of our best-seller lists are conveniently available for your browsing on our Best-Selling Products page.

Bacon Hot Sauce, Bacon BBQ Sauce & Bacon Ketchup!

If your motto is, "Everything's better with bacon," then the following three new products are for you.

First, there's Bacon Hot Sauce, created as a result of a discussion among friends over which was better on everything, hot sauce or bacon.  It finally dawned on one of them that the correct answer--at least for them--was BOTH!  Turns out they weren't the only ones to think so, as Bacon Hot Sauce has developed quite a passionate following among people who like to spice things up and wish they could have bacon with every meal.

Bacon Hot Sauce is similar to an all-purpose cayenne pepper sauce, only better:  Cayenne and New Mexico chiles add dimensional flavor along with their relatively mellow heat, and the natural bacon flavor provides that unmistakable smoky meatiness usually found only in cooked bacon.  The end result is a pleasantly peppery, bacony hot sauce that won't burn you out (it's on the mild side for a hot sauce) and that will deliver genuine bacon flavor without any of the fat or calories found in bacon.  If you're a heat-loving baconista, this is a must-have item for your table, kitchen, pantry, purse or computer bag, RV, camping or hiking gear, picnic basket, tailgating supply kit, tackle box, etc. (trust me, you'll want to have a bottle everywhere you eat).


Second, there's Jim Beam Bacon BBQ Sauce, blending three great tastes into one winning combination:  Thick, rich, tomato barbecue sauce; savory grilled bacon, and smooth Kentucky bourbon.  As with the hot sauce, this Bacon Barbecue Sauce lets you enjoy your favorite flavors on all sorts of food without the additional fat or calories found in bacon, and without the alcohol buzz from drinking bourbon (in other words, the whole family can safely enjoy Jim Beam Bacon Barbecue Sauce without blowing their diet or blowing a breathalyzer test).  The heat level is definitely mild--not more than a mere zesty zip that's not hot--and there's enough bold, savory tang to stand up to the most robust grilled fare like ribs, chops and game meats.  But other foods also take nicely to this bacon barbecue sauce:  Slather it on chicken, fish, shrimp, grilled veggies and kabobs, or mix it into meat loaf, baked beans and other recipes for a touch of bacony richness without greasiness.  Bring a bottle of Bacon BBQ Sauce to your next block party or tailgate event to be the hit of the party!

Last but definitely not least, we have Slappin' Fat Bacon Ketchup, for those of us who believe that ketchup is one of the four basic food groups.  As with the other two bacon-infused sauces, eating Bacon Ketchup with every meal is healthier than eating bacon with every meal, because the only thing "Fat" about this bacon condiment is its name.  Beginning with a traditional sweet, tomato-ey flavor and texture, this ketchup veers deliciously away from "ordinary" to EXTRAORDINARY with the masterful addition of natural bacon flavor and a suggestion of rich, bacony mouthfeel.  Pour it on your hamburgers for "bacon" burgers even when you're out of bacon.  Ditto with scrambled eggs, hash browns and other breakfast fare.  Dip your French fries, onion rings and other finger foods in bacon ketchup for an addictively tasty experience.  Add it to any recipe calling for regular ketchup to add heavenly bacon goodness without grease.  Once you try Slappin' Fat Bacon Ketchup, there will be no going back to plain-Jane supermarket ketchup ever again.

Bacon Hot Sauce, Bacon Barbecue Sauce and Bacon Ketchup are all currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  If you've read this far, you're probably a bacon addict--which means you'll definitely want to pay a visit to our partner BaconFreak to check out their extensive bacon offerings.  And to experience some of the best bacon on the planet, you'll need to buy North Carolina bacon from our partner Johnston County Hams.

"Jews for Bacon"?

File this one under "Things that make you go 'hmmm'"....

Our partner BaconFreak has quite a selection of gifts for bacon-lovers, ranging from the sublimely delicious to the amusing and downright bizarre.   One in particular falls into all of those categories simultaneously:  The Hanukkah Bacon Bundle, created "because latkes taste better with bacon. Jews for Bacon Unite!"

I'm not making this one up--click the image or link below to check it out for yourself and read their entire description:

"It's Not Kosher But It's Tasty" Hanukkah Bundle

                                                                 from: Bacon Freak

The Hanukkah Bundle from Bacon Freak does come with some mouthwatering bacon and bacon-flavored foods including hickory-smoked bacon, bacon seasoning and bacon milk chocolate, plus whimsical bacon-themed swag like a bacon wallet and a "Bacon is a Vegetable" t-shirt.  And as Bacon Freak points out, they do have some self-described bacon-loving Jews on staff. 

But I can’t help but wonder: Is the Hanukkah Bacon Bundle a light-hearted, well-intentioned gift for the right person?  Or is the whole concept of "Jews for Bacon" in poor taste?  Are you amused or offended? Leave a comment below and tell us what you think.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spicy Maple Sweet Potatoes with Apple & Bacon

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving instead of the traditional sweet potato casserole (because I hate the marshmallows on top).  Greg and I both enjoy hot & spicy foods, so I used ground smoked habanero powder for a pretty powerful peppery punch.  For a milder heat level, substitute ground cayenne or other pepper of your choice--or smoked paprika for flavor without heat.  Use any apple variety that you like--I used a Granny Smith.  This recipe serves 4 as a side dish, and you can double it to feed more.

Ingredients
2 slices bacon
2 sweet potatoes
1 apple
1/4 cup maple syrup
Dash to 1/8 tsp (depending on desired heat) ground smoked habanero

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Cook bacon until crispy in a large frying pan.  Remove bacon (reserve the bacon fat in the pan) and place on paper towels to absorb excess grease.  While the bacon is frying, wash and dry sweet potatoes, then slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into 1/4"-thick half-moons.  Add sweet potato slices to the frying pan and saute in the bacon fat until they start to soften and begin to brown lightly.  While the sweet potatoes are cooking, chop the apple into small cubes.  Add apples to the pan, stir in the maple syrup and cook for a few minutes until apple chunks are slightly softened.  Crumble the bacon into the pan, add the ground pepper and stir to combine.  Transfer everything into a casserole dish and bake until the sweet potatoes are cooked through (20 to 30 minutes, less time for "al dente" results).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  If you prefer insanely-hot food, I dare you to use ground naga jolokia pepper powder in this (or any) recipe!

How to Make Candied Bacon

Candied bacon is very easy to make, and its sweet-salty-bacony flavor and toothsome crunch enhances everything from sweet potato casserole to Thanksgiving turkey stuffing to cream cheese dips/spreads, salads (who needs croutons or nuts??) and even cookies. The possibilities are limited only by the extent of your love of bacon and your imagination: The photo on the left shows pieces of caramelized bacon dipped in melted dark chocolate and sprinkled with red pepper (don't knock it until you've tasted it--and then I dare you to stop at one piece), and the one farther down shows a delightful hors d'oeuvre of crackers topped with brie, pear and candied bacon.

Here's how to make candied bacon:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2.  Take 1 pound of uncooked sliced bacon and arrange the slices on the lined baking sheet.  If you want uniformly-sized bacon pieces as shown in the photo, cut the raw bacon first before placing on the baking sheet.

3.  Generously sprinkle the bacon with brown sugar--don't skimp!  If you want a spicy snack, go ahead and also sprinkle some cracked black pepper or a little ground red pepper, to taste.  Chili powder or ground chipotle can also add a nice touch, but don't use too much.  If you're a glutton for fiery punishment, carefully sprinkle with ground habanero powder.

4.  Bake at 350°F until the bacon is fully crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Allow to cool to the touch.

5.  Chop or crumble the candied bacon as desired, OR use the whole slices as you wish--here are two ideas:  Coat in melted chocolate, place on wax paper and freeze to enjoy as a unique dessert; Lay slices of candied bacon on top of a just-cooked casserole as a sweet-savory topping (great with butternut squash or sweet potato casseroles).

6.  Store any uneaten candied bacon (ha! As if you'll have any!) in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  If you love bacon, you need to check out our Partner, BaconFreak:  They have everything a bacon addict could ever want, from fabulous bacon (including nitrite free and flavored) to bacon jerky, bacon condiments, bacon pancakes, bacon coffee, bacon gifts & monthly clubs, and even bacon clothing & accessories for the true bacon freak!

Calling All Bacon Enthusiasts!

Attention bacon lovers: The Carolina Sauce Company is thrilled to announce its partnership with Bacon Freak, the premier online source for premium bacon, bacon gifts, and bacon-themed clothing & accessories for the baconista! Bacon Freak's bacon is quite possibly the finest bacon available, thick-cut from premium pork belly, hickory-smoked the old-fashioned way, without excess water like mass-produced commercial bacon--which is why this bacon won't shrink or splatter. Unlike bacon from your local grocery store, when you cook one pound of Bacon Freak's bacon, you get one pound of cooked bacon. And the flavor of this gourmet bacon can't be beat, whether you get their original classic bacon or one of the flavored varieties such as Peppered, Honey BBQ, Vanilla Bourbon or Jalapeno, to name a few. This flavored bacon is seasoned by hand, not machine-processed.

Through our partnership with Bacon Freak, we're now able to offer a variety of Bacon of the Month Clubs featuring their famously delicious bacon. And if you wish to proclaim your love of bacon to the world, or give a unique gift to your favorite bacon lover, you'll definitely want to check out their selection of bacon-themed clothing, accessories and gifts. In addition to bacon and other pork products, they have bacon-flavored seasonings & sauces, cookbooks, bacon chocolate bars, and quirky items including bacon-scented candles, bacon wrapping paper, maple-bacon lollipops and more. I gave Greg a box of Bacon Bandages and he was surprised and quite amused. So the next time you need a gift for someone special, or are having that special sort of craving, make sure to "bring home the bacon" by shopping with our partner, Bacon Freak!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria