Bacon-of-the-Month

I have a confession to make: I have been living a double life. By day and especially on high holidays, I am a good Jewish boy. Nonetheless, every month I receive a package that would shock my rabbi. It is my Bacon-of-the-Month-Club from The Grateful Palate, which I cook immediately in broiler, no matter the time of day.

The initial membership introduction package includes your first artisan bacon (varieties from apple cinnamon to applewood smoked bacon), a faux pig nose, a light-up pig pen, a rubber pig toy, a wallet sized bacon-of-the month membership card (so you can pull it out and show it off to all your friends, if the occasion arises), and one awesome “I got porked” t-shirt.

At least once a month I receive an insulated, overnight package with 1lb of artisan bacon on ice packs, the bacon strip (Grateful Palate’s very own comic strip), and a recipe card. This month’s selection came from Gatton Farms in Kentucky and is hickory smoked sugar cured country bacon. Unfortunately, of all the different selections I have had thus far, this month is disappointing. The hickory smoke is just too thick, and there is little to no evidence in the taste of the sugar curing process. I have enjoyed both sugar cured and hickory bacon in the past and this one falls short.

Aside from this month’s little blip the overall experience of the Bacon-of-the-Month-Club has been fucking fabulous. Each month was more delectable and juicer than the month before. From trying every cooking technique except microwaving (those who microwave should be flogged in public) I have learned that there is no more tastier way to prepare bacon than to cook it in your broiler (just like they do it at Lugars and Wolfgangs).

Hey Grateful Palate, I am still waiting for the steakhouse thick cut bacon (ie: Lugars and Wolfgang’s style) to grace its presence on my doorstep.

To sign up for the Bacon of the Month club go to http://www.gratefulpalate.com.