Beer-Candied Bacon

Who doesn't love bacon? After all, it's all the rage. Bacon can be found just about everywhere these days—even in desserts and drinks. (Bacon martini, anyone?) I decided to to jump on the bacon bandwagon and make a sweet version to top a cupcake recipe that I've been developing. (The "mancake" recipe to come later.) Candying bacon is a sticky, lengthy process, but it's not hard. When you have a pound of crunchy, sticky, sweet, and salty pieces of pork when you're finished, however, it will make it all worth it. I promise! It was hard to save some of this glorious bacon for my cupcake recipe. It was that good! This bacon is perfect for breakfast (crumbled in pancakes or waffles), as a snack, or for topping cupcakes. Make this NOW!

Beer-Candied Bacon
Source: Tide and Thyme

1 pound bacon 

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons beer (I used Saranac Caramel Porter.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top and drape the slices of bacon over the rack, overlapping if necessary. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together brown sugar and beer in a small bowl.

After 10 minutes, carefully remove the bacon from the oven and brush one side with the beer syrup. Flip each slice of bacon and brush the other side with the syrup. Return to oven and bake for more 10 minutes. Repeat process two more times until bacon is crispy.

Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour.