The Ohio Pork Council has said that the US reserves of pork bellies (from which bacon is made) is at a 50 year low. Warning about higher prices or a marketing ploy by the pork industry?
Will you stock up on bacon to ensure your own personal supply, or could bacon prices reach a point where you won’t bother to buy it?
Obligatory bacon dish recipes:
Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Wraps
6 fresh jalapenos
12 slices of bacon
8 oz. pkg of cream cheese
Halve and seed jalapenos. Fill with cream cheese. Wrap with bacon. Place on high heat grill and cook until bacon is done.
1 lb smoked bacon, sliced into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium brown onion, sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Tabasco sauce (according to taste and optional)
1 cup brewed coffee
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
black pepper
Fry the bacon in batches until lightly browned and beginning to crisp.
Fry the onion and garlic in the rendered bacon fat on medium heat until translucent.
Transfer the bacon, onion and garlic into a heavy based cast iron pot and add the rest of the ingredients except for the water.
Simmer for 2 hours adding 1/4 of a cup of water every 25-30 minutes or so and stirring.
When ready, cool for about 15-20 minutes and then place in a food processor. Pulse for 2-3 seconds so that you leave some texture to the “jam” or of course you could keep whizzing and make it a smoother and more paste like.
Great as a condiment on anything and I mean ANYTHING!
Don’t have the recipe, but a place up the road from me does a tempura dipped bacon appetizer (it’s that really thick cut pork belly about an inch to an inch and a half thick) that’s pretty yummy.
I think it’s hype…there isn’t going to be some huge bacon shortage in the US this year (except for the whole end of the world/apocalypse thingy, but at that point who will care?). I suppose there is a point at which bacon would become so expensive I wouldn’t buy it, but not sure what that point is. Probably when I’m having to choose between whether I can pay my bills or have a big plate of (not crisp) bacon for breakfast…
As long as the grocery store keeps selling (perfectly good) nearly-past-the-sell-by-date bacon in buy one get one free packages, I’m fine.
I heard there was a shortage because the types of hog that make bacon aren’t as good for other pork and ham products, so the bacon is getting stinted in the interests of keeping the pork/ham market going strong.
Bacon Recipe
Bacon Soup
Pick a couple of root veggies:
turnips, sweet potatoes, yams, regular potatoes, whatever
Pick a couple of gourd/squash type things:
butternut squash is good, acorn works, pink winter is nice
Cube the things, boil then simmer til soft
Puree with immersion blender or pour into regular blender
Fry bacon
Crumble bacon into soup
Add seasonings (and pepper/spice) to taste.
