Bacon Meets Chocolate

When Michael Symon was on Dinner Impossible, long before he was Iron Chef, I watched him dip bacon into chocolate. Just like the skeptics on the show, I thought the idea sounded awful. But it was good after all, the idea caught on and now you find it all over.

Much, much later, Cory the Kid found chocolate covered bacon featured in a restaurant blog on line. I could hear him salivating all the way from New York. I resolved then and there to, learn how to make it, pack it up, mail it off and surprise him for his birthday. Lacking a way to keep bacon and chocolate chilled during transit, the project never quite got off the ground.

Now the Kid's in Atlanta and I've had 2 months to work on the bacon with the chocolate. The final result is wrapped and in the fridge; chilling out and waiting for delivery.

But I must 'fess up, I’m glad I had some time. What I thought would be easy--how difficult could it be to dip anything in chocolate!---turned into quite a project; it is not all that easy to dip said bacon in said chocolate and the first 2 batches landed in the trash. Cory the Kid, this bacon’s for you.

How To Make Chocolate Covered Bacon

• I pound of thick cut bacon

• 2 (3.5 ounce each) bars of chocolate, pick a decent brand, do not be afraid of mixing 2 different flavors. I used extra dark bittersweet and plain old milk. Hazelnut is also very nice.

• 2 low sided cookie pans, 1 lined with parchment paper

• Tongs

• 1 double boiler or a heat proof bowl set over a sauce pan

Method:

Lay all the bacon on an ungreased, low-sided cookie pan and bake at 425° until done. I like my bacon a little toothsome, but you can make it crispy.

Remove the cooked bacon to paper towels and let the bacon drain and cool.

After the bacon has completely cooled, put it on clean paper towels and pat off as much grease as possible. Cut each piece in half. Set aside. Do not refrigerate.

Brake up the bars of chocolate and put ¾’s of it in a double boiler over barely simmering water. (Or the heat proof bowl over the sauce pan)

Melt the chocolate slowly; do not let the bowl of chocolate touch the water; do not cover the bowl while the chocolate melts. (That forms condensation which turns into water which drips into your chocolate which is definitely not good!)

When all the chocolate has melted, remove the double boiler from the heat. Add the remaining chocolate and stir gently until all of it is melted and smooth.

Using tongs and working one piece at a time, submerge your bacon pieces into the melted chocolate and turn to coat well.

Remove the bacon from the chocolate and let the extra chocolate drip off. Put the chocolate covered bacon on a cookie pan lined with parchment.

Repeat until all the bacon pieces are coated.

I had extra chocolate so I spooned it over the already coated bacon to make the chocolate extra thick. Do not try to re-dip.

Chill the chocolate covered bacon, uncovered, overnight.

Store covered. Keep chilled.