Sugar Bacon with Meyer Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

 

Bacon seems to be the "it" thing these days. Well it's always been the "it" thing for me and once you make this super easy sugar cured bacon, you won't ever mess with frying up greasy bacon in a pan again. Part of the reason we choose to stay home for Sunday brunch rather than go out for brunch at a restaurant, is that sadly most places don't cook their bacon properly. It's always undercooked and rubbery, while ours is crispy and crunchy and sweet. It's really bacon candy when you think about it. And what's not to love about bacon candy??? Pair it with some tasty meyer lemon blueberry pancakes and you've got yourself a pretty sweet deal.

SUGAR BACON

1 package of good quality center cut bacon such as Applegate Farms "Sunday Bacon".

4 tbs brown sugar

a hearty few cracks of fresh black pepper

Tools: baking pan, aluminum foil, cooling rack, non stick spray

Layer a baking pan with foil, cover with a cooling rack, spray the rack with non stick spray and lay the bacon across the cooling rack. Generously sprinkle sugar all over the bacon, crack fresh pepper over it and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until golden and crispy. Clean up is a cinch! You just throw away the foil and clean the cooling rack. No greasy mess and the fat drips away from the bacon, making it so perfect and crunchy.

MEYER LEMON PANCAKES

These are super easy! Just get your favorite pancake mix (I like Kerbey Lane Buttermilk pancakes)

The key here is to NOT follow the directions on the box. Instead of water I use buttermilk, add 1 tbs of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, the zest of one meyer lemon and a dollop of ricotta cheese plus a beaten egg. Then add some frozen or fresh blueberries and make cute little silver dollar sized pancakes on a griddle or pan heated to 375 degrees. I make these during the last 10 minutes of bacon cooking. Serve with a fried egg and some hash browns and you've got a feast to rival any brunch at the local restaurant!

Oh my goodness... Is that a bottle of champs I spotted in the fridge??  Why I don't mind if I do!