MrBaconpants.com

It’s really St. Patrick’s Day; I just made up Irish Bacon day. I was trying to come up with a good topic for today and then it hit me. Today would be a great day to talk about Irish bacon.

In Ireland and the UK they just call it bacon, but since Americans have their own bacon, in the States we call it Irish Bacon. Irish bacon is very similar to what we call Canadian bacon or back bacon. It is cut from the back meat of the pig and it’s cooked until done, not crispy. In contrast, American bacon comes from the pork belly and is usually cooked until crispy. So as you can see there are big differences between American and Irish bacon.

The differences between Canadian bacon and Irish bacon are small. They are so similar that some people substitute Canadian bacon for Irish bacon in recipes. The only major difference between the two is Irish Bacon has a layer of fat around the meat. Canadian bacon usually does not.

I am personally not a big fan of Irish or Canadian bacon. There are some instances where I enjoy it, but for breakfast or a burger give me American bacon and nothing else.

If you have any fun facts about Irish bacon feel free to share.

When I was at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival I met a Chef that appreciates bacon as much as I do. His name is Lance Avery; he is the Corporate Executive Chef for Sara Lee. Lance created a Maple-Bacon and Pumpkin Cheesecake that was out of this world. After taking only one bite I ran up to him and said, “You have to give me this recipe, the world must know how good this is”. He gladly said yes, so without anymore rambling here is the recipe.

Maple-Bacon & Pumpkin Cheesecake
with Templeton Rye Bacon Walnut Glaze

Crust
twenty-four 5 by 2½ -inch graham crackers
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

In a food processor finely grind graham crackers (you will have about 3 1/2 cups). Cut the butter into 8 pieces. Using the food processor, add the butter and syrup into the ground grahams until fully distributed. Press the grahams evenly into bottom and up side of a 10-inch spring form pan. Pre bake the crust (for crispier crust) in a 325º oven for 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before filling.

Filling
four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ cup heavy cream
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 slices of Jimmy Dean Center Piece Bacon – Maple 31634, cooked again until super crispy, then let cool before crumbling into tiny pieces

With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the syrup, then add the eggs one a time. Finish the mix by adding the remaining ingredients (except bacon) and mix well. Sprinkle the pre-baked crust with half of the crumbled bacon. Pour the filling over the bacon. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on the top. Bake at 325º for 1 1/4 hours or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving, preferably overnight.

Templeton Rye Bacon Walnut Glaze
1 cup cream
¾ cup maple syrup
½ cup Templeton Rye Whiskey
4 slices of Jimmy Dean Center Piece Bacon – Maple 31634
½ cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Boil the cream, syrup, and whiskey together for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bacon and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Pass the liquid through a strainer to remove the bacon. Place in a blender with the walnut and blend on high until thickened and smooth. Cover and chill until served. Stir before serving.

If you are wondering what Templeton Rye is, it’s the whiskey Al Capone used to drink during prohibition. You can only get it in Iowa and some parts of Illinois. If you are in an area and can’t get Templeton I am sure you can use something else.

If anyone makes this let me know what you think about it. I thought it was amazing and I am going to try to play baker and make this. I will let you know how it turns out.