Inspired by Off the Bone, I recently whipped up a batch of pig candy. In the process, I learned a few things, namely that once it sits for a day or so, eating bacon is sort of like chewing on pencil erasers. Sort-of bacon-flavored pencil erasers, but stil....
That said, when the pig candy was fresh, it was pretty damned good. Sweet and savory and crunchy and bacony all in the same bite. Interestingly, after just a few hours, the bacon flavor seemed to dissipate, leaving what was essentially a good, if basic, toffee with a hint of smoke.
I interpret this unanticipated ethereal quality of bacon as further proof that bacon is something to be considered thoughtfully and understood for the wonderful and delicate gift that it is.
Anyway, if you want to make your own pig candy, a few pointers:
Start with good bacon. This isn't the time for the cheap supermarket stuff. I'd also recommend cooking your bacon in the oven on a wire rack over a half-sheet pan. That way all your slices stay nice and pretty and not all shriveled. Plus then you get nice clean bacon fat in the sheet pan to use for other things. You do keep a jar of bacon fat, right?
The original recipe called for stirring the bacon into the toffee mixture, but that ended up looking kind of gross, and the bacon all clumped together. If I did it again, I'd lay the cooked bacon on a sheet pan in a single layer, and pour the toffee over the top.
Pig Candy (or Bacon Toffee, if you prefer)
- 1/4 C. Water
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 C. sugar
- 1 heavy pinch kosher salt
- 1 # thick-cut bacon, cut into 2 inch pieces and cooked crisp
The pig candy can be stored for a few days in an airtight container, but you're really better off only making as much as you're going to eat. It's not nearly as good once it has sat for a while.
