Some people believe everything tastes better with bacon. I have to admit I have a weakness for bacon too. Bacon is my go to breakfast meat but it also perks up a salad, adds flavor to soups and makes any sandwich taste better. So when I heard about brown sugar bacon I was intrigued. The sweetness was evident in the brown sugar but I wanted some spice too so I added some chile flakes. It was an amazing combination. Before it all disappeared I saved a few slices for my favorite pasta sauce, a grilled chicken sandwich and a spinach salad.
To the brown sugar, I added some New Mexico Red Chile flakes, ground Chile de Arbol, and a pinch of ground mustard.
Mix everything together in a bowl.
Since I didn’t have any cooling racks to fit into the pan, I put together some smaller ones and fit them together to prop up the bacon. And for an easier clean-up I lined my baking sheet with aluminum foil.
For me it was easier to dump the brown sugar mix into a shallow bowl and dredge the bacon through the mix on both sides.
Place the bacon on the racks and pop into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the bacon and flip over for an additional 10 – 15 minutes.
The bacon will be slightly dark and crispy when done. Let cool on the rack for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate lined with paper towels.
Can I tempt anyone with some sweet and spicy bacon!
Spicy Brown Sugar Bacon
1 lb Bacon, sliced
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons New Mexico Red Chile Flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground Chile de Arbol or Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Mustard Powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Apply aluminum foil to a large baking sheet. Set a rack inside the baking sheet large enough to lay the bacon onto without falling through. A cooling rack works well.
Combine the brown sugar and spices together. Pour the brown sugar mix into a shallow bowl and dredge each slice of bacon on both sides. Lay the bacon slices onto the rack. Set the baking sheet in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the bacon over and cook an additional 10 – 15 minutes. The bacon should appear dark and crisp but not burnt.
Let cool on rack for 5 minutes.
An Inspired Cook 