Red Velvet Wisdom

For some odd reason, it seems that here lately we have had an abundance of posts related to bacon.  Well this one is no different.  You may remember a few weeks ago Dena did a post on eating chicken fried bacon at the Rockin Rooster in Avery, Texas.  Well as  soon as my accomplice saw that post, he looked me in the eye with the most serious face he possibly can muster, and said, “you have one week to figure out how to make this.”   Now I realize in previous posts I have complained of people making overly simplistic food requests, and I was actually kind of excited to be trying something that I had never done before.

Now, I did a little research on chicken fried bacon, and as best I can tell, it originated (along with any number of other fried sins) at the Texas State Fair a few years back.  There were quite a few ways to make it, and it seems that some people bread it, some people batter dip it, and there were recipes using flour, bread crumbs, and any number of things.  So I decided to go out on my own and do a simple double dredge.  I took some thick cut bacon, and cut it in half because I was afraid these big long strips might be hard to manage, and I am glad I did, because I do think they were easier to handle since I was pan frying.

I used a couple cups of flour that I flavored with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cajun spices.  You can just do it to your taste.  Then in a bowl I had about 4 or 5 eggs that I beat thoroughly.  Then one strip at a time I lightly dredged them in the flour, dipped them in the egg wash, and then gave them another coating in the flour.  I put them in a pan of canola oil to fry.  I would give you a temperature, but I don’t have a thermometer so I just did the good old-fashioned flick a little flour in there and see if it boils thing to see if it was ready.  I put 3 or 4 pieces in at a time, and just let them hang out in there until they were golden brown on both sides.

I drained them on paper towel, and they were ready to go.  I have to admit that I had low expectations of the flavor, but it was GOOD.  Very good.  Served it with biscuits and gravy, and it was something that I would make again, but only after a few months of doing a good detox cleanse!  The accomplice even came up with the bacon and gravy sandwich on a biscuit.