Bless My Bacon!

The only reason I'm chatting with Scott Smith and Neal Hull from the National Pork Board is because of Scott's beard.  While doing research for the podcast, I discovered that Scott won the 2022 Farm Journal's PORK "Best Beards in the Pork Industry".  From there we started talking and one thing led to another and...they're on the podcast today!  I'm excited to have them on, to give us a broader view of the pork/bacon market and how it affects small-batch bacon producers and bacon lovers in general!

In the news, two big fast food giants are bringing back more bacon-inspired favorites...
The bacon producer of the week is Black Sheep Bacon Company...
The recipe of the week is Dr. BBQ's Tomato Bacon Pie!
Enjoy!

This week's episode features Chemical Engineer Craig Rasmussen of Grandad's Bacon in Loveland, Ohio.  Craig has extensive bacon education both at home and abroad.  This world-traveler is a plethora of information.  You'll love what he has to say and you'll love his bacon (grandadsbacon.com)

Our Bacon producer of the week is 99 Counties in Keystone, Iowa.

The recipe of the week is crowd favorite Cream Cheese Dip with Bacon and Onion, from Bensa Bacon Lovers.  Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Billy Stitt is making a name for himself in small-batch bacon industry.  Bill-E's Bacon is known nationwide for it's flavor and quality.  Perhaps it's because his bacon is serenaded by local musicians (true story!)  In this episode, we dig a little deeper into his business and glorious bacon.  
KFC is bringing back their most iconic sandwich after nearly a decade and there are a couple of bacon festivals to report on.
Our bacon producer of the week is Hill's Premium Meats in Pendleton, Oregon.
This week's bacon recipe is bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese and basil (yum!)
Enjoy!

Here's a fresh take on the bacon-making process from bacon enthusiast David Bondy, from England.  He's been making bacon for over 20 years and shares his secrets on both back bacon and streaky (American) bacon.   What he loves most about the process is being in control of all aspects of production: sourcing quality meat, calculating the precise amount of curing ingredients, curing and smoking time, as well as the wood smoke component.  It was a true pleasure speaking with David.  You'll enjoy his passion!

In bacon news we'll report on a strange ingredient a woman found in her bacon. 
Our bacon producer of the week is Serendipity Farms in Northern Michigan and our recipe of the week is Warm Potato Salad with Bacon.  Enjoy!

This week, I chat with Paul Kennedy, owner of S.O.B. Bacon (Society of Bacon), in Douglassville, Pennsylvania.  Paul is a master of small-batch bacon, has some great friends who inspire his work (including a chef and the owner of a spice shop).  His business is growing and he decided to chat for a bit about how it all started, how he experiments with new flavors, and what's next.

Our bacon producer of the week is Grandad's Bacon in Loveland, Ohio.  We'll talk about their business as well as bring you our Recipe of the Week--Pan fried brussels sprouts with bacon and balsamic.

Enjoy!

Matthew O'Donohue was my first guest on the podcast last year on October 8th.  To this day, that podcast has more views than any other I've done.  Matthew is the owner of "Who Loves Bacon", a small-batch bacon producer in Bakersfield, California.  He and his wife Jahama are passionate about their craft and continue to expand their product offerings and customer base.  I appreciate his friendship and believe you'll enjoy the information and advice he offers!

In bacon news, one of our stories is about a restaurant in Maryland that will give you free bacon with your meal.  

Our bacon producer of the week is S. Clyde Weaver in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Our recipe of the week is Maple Bacon Cupcakes, from Bensa Bacon Lovers.
Enjoy!

This week, I chat with Sean Tighe of Fat Belly Bacon in New Jersey.  He runs a growing small-batch bacon company and has an impressive selection of custom bacon products.  He shares about his history, processes, recipes, and goals for his business. 

Dairy Queen has a new bacon menu item.  Find out about that, as well as an all-in-one bacon machine that can crank out 8800 pounds of bacon an hour!

Our bacon producer of the week is The Meat Mart in Orange Beach, Alabama. 

This week's recipe comes to us from Bensa Bacon Lovers and is a monstrous Irish Burger with bacon and cheese.  Enjoy!

P.S. I just launched a bacon clothing line!  Check out all the merch at www.blessmybacon.com

Dan Quibell, author of "The Bacon Experiment", inspired me to try a bacon diet.  Dan ate nothing but bacon for 30 days and lost 20 pounds, so I decided to do it for 14 days and see what would happen.  It didn't go as I expected, but I did lose weight and had a new appreciation for bacon.

Bacon shakes are in the news, plus our bacon producer of the week is Edward's Virginia Smokehouse in California, Missouri.

Our recipe of the week is Maple Bacon Carrots, courtesy of Bensa Bacon Lovers.

Enjoy!

This week, we have the privilege of talking with Charlie Zieserl, owner of "Charlie The Bacon Guy", in Woodridge, Illinois.  He was a wealth of information and was more than willing to share the things he's learned along the way.   He has an amazing/eclectic bacon lineup, makes bacon jam, and has some cool swag as well.  Check him out on Instagram: @charliethebaconguy

Our bacon producer of the week is Hempler's, in Ferndale, Washington.

Plus, a great bacon jam recipe from Bensabaconlovers.com

Enjoy!

This week, we chat with Jeff Letson of Hitman Smoked Products in Clifton, Tennessee.  From humble beginnings, Jeff now runs a successful business supplying grocery stores and restaurants with his signature bacon flavors.  You can view all his offerings at https://hitmansmokedproducts.com/.  He shares his experiences, processes, and passion for all things bacon.  

In bacon news, we report on flying toaster ovens and new bacon offerings at Trader Joe's and Applebee's.

Our bacon producer of the week is Baconers in Emeryville, California and our recipe of the week is Bacon Jalapeno Cream Cheese Wontons, perfect for the big game!

Enjoy!

This week you get to hear from James Peisker from Porter Road in Nashville, Tennessee.  He shares his meat/bacon journey and how he and his business partner went from a catering business into a full-blown premium meat company.  In addition to their physical location in Nashville, they ship their products nationwide.  James is passionate about quality, hand-cut meats, cherry wood-smoked bacon, customer service, sustainability, and animal care.  You'll love the information he shares and the passion behind it.

Our bacon producer of the week is Flugger's Bacon in Sonoma County, California.  They treat their animals humanely, feed them without antibiotics or growth hormones, and give them the absolute best care.  That and great taste is why their bacon is so popular.

We'll also share how to make "Million-Dollar Bacon", as seen on the Bensa Bacon Lover's Website (bensabaconlovers.com)

It's amazing what A.I. can do, especially when it comes to text generation.  So, I put it to work and create custom content around "bacon".   Neat as this is, A.I. cannot physically make bacon, so we'll leave that up to our bacon friends.  Our bacon producer of the week is D'Artagnan in Union, New Jersey.  In addition to "bacon news", I'll share our recipe of the week--Baked Bacon Cheese Dip in a Bread Bowl, leaving you plenty of time to make it for the upcoming Super Bowl.  Enjoy!

This week's episode of "Bless My Bacon!" takes a look over the past 16 episodes of the podcast.  Somewhat introspective, but nonetheless grateful for good friends and great bacon!  Our bacon producer of the week is Four Oaks Farm in Lexington, South Carolina.  This week's recipe is perfect for Christmas: Bourbon Egg Nog with Candied Bacon, from Eliza Cross at Bensa Bacon Lovers.  Enjoy!

This week, we share 10 things you didn't know you should be doing with bacon, as seen on www.thedailymeal.com.  Some are obvious, others are obscure, but all are good.  The bacon producer of the week is Porter Road in Nashville, Tennessee.  As always, the latest-breaking bacon news and another delicious recipe from BENSA Bacon Lovers.  Enjoy!

This week, we chat with Kate Stillman, owner of Stillman Quality Meats in Hardwick, Massachusetts.  A lifelong farmer, she shares her passion for animals, quality meat, bacon, and how her modest team of farmers and butchers makes great-tasting products even better.  This week's bacon-producer of the week is Snake River Farms in Boise, Idaho, purveyors of Wagyu beef and Kurobuta (Berkshire) bacon.  Our recipe of the week is tasty, from BENSA Bacon Lovers.  Enjoy!

This week's episode features Gavin Boinski of "Damn Good Bacon Jam".  Based in Birmingham, Alabama Gavin and his team produce their highly-acclaimed Bacon Jam.  Their motto is "everything is better with bacon", and they prove it with their bacon jam, spices, and rubs.  Gavin talks about his bacon journey and some of what it takes to create their products.  The bacon producer of the week is Frying Pan Bacon, based in Carbondale, Colorado.  The recipe of the week comes from Eliza Cross, of BENSA Bacon Lovers.  Enjoy!

This episode features Ahna and Cam Frye, owners of Alleluia Acres Heritage Farm.  They raise Tamworth pigs, which are quite rare and are considered "threatened" by the Livestock Conservancy.  These outstanding hogs make for fantastic bacon due to their genetics, so it was great to chat with Ahna and Cam to learn how they raise these amazing animals.  Our bacon producer of the week is Cure Cooking based in Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska.  Enjoy!

This week, we chat with Dan Quibell,  keto weight loss coach and bacon guru.  He struggled with weight over the years, but found the key to losing weight--bacon!  He ate nothing but bacon for 30 days and lost 20 pounds!  It's a fantastic interview--you'll be hooked!  Our bacon producer of the week is Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams (don't let the name fool you--they make fantastic bacon too!), in Madisonville, Tennessee.  

This week we chat with Shannon Duffy, CEO of Tender Belly (tenderbelly.com).  Shannon talks about their stratospheric climb to bacon stardom and what makes their products different and "crazy tasty".  He's a great dude and we're happy to have him on the show.

The bacon producer of the week is Stillman Quality Meats in Hardwick, Massachusetts.

As always, you'll hear the latest bacon news and this week's recipe of the week.
Enjoy!

If you like lists (and bacon), you'll enjoy this episode.  So much of what we eat can be wrapped in bacon and made even better!  I'll give you 80+ bacon-wrapped ideas, the latest bacon news, our bacon producer of the week--Kayem, in Chelsea MA, and a tasty recipe from Kayem's website!  Enjoy!