The Infamous Bacon Explosion, Vicki Version
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 10
Ingredients
14 slices thick-cut bacon1/2 lb ground beef chuck1/4 lb bulk pork sausage1/4 lb ground turkey or chicken1/2 c chopped mushrooms1/4 c chopped black olives1/4 c chopped green olives1/2 c chopped onion1/4 c BBQ rub1/2 c BBQ sauce1/4 c maple syrup2 T soy sauce4 oz chunk or stick of mozzarella2 T butter
Fry four pieces of thick-sliced bacon (I used maple-cured from a bulk package) until crispy. Remove from pan, reserving rendered fat.
Saute onion and mushrooms in the reserved bacon fat, adding a little butter only if the fat is all absorbed. Cool and crumble.
Mix the ground beef, sausage, and poultry together well. You can season the mixture with any spices that appeal to you, such as BBQ rub or Italian spices.
Combine 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Original) with 1/4 cup of maple syrup (you may alternately use pancake syrup, molasses, honey, or whatever other liquid sweetener you prefer), 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and enough water to thin it to a glaze consistency.
Make the weave:
On a large sheet of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, place 5 slices of bacon side-by-side. Weave the other 5 slices in and out in the other direction through these slices. You should end up with what looks like a basketweave of bacon. See pictures at:
https://rootsgpk.blogspot.com/2009/01/bacon-explosion-super-bowl-cooking.html
Spread your ground meat mixture evenly to the edges of this foundation weave, leaving about 1/2-to-1-inch of uncovered bacon on the sides. Sprinkle generously with the BBQ rub of your choice (I used Paul Prudhomme's Magic BBQ Seasoning).
Mix together your cooled, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and the chopped olives. Spread this mixture evenly over the surface of the meat. Drizzle the BBQ sauce mix on top. Sprinkle the cooked, crumbled bacon pieces over all. Lay the mozzarella on the side closest to you, not quite extending to the edges (so it doesn't leak out in cooking).
This is where it gets a bit messy. ;-) Starting with the portion closest to you, roll the MEAT ONLY jelly-roll fashion to the opposite side of the weave. Using the foil or paper, snug the bacon weave around the meat log, and roll the entire affair back toward you. It should be as compact as you can get it. The "seam" of the weave should be on the bottom of the roll when you're finished.
Sprinkle the whole thing again with BBQ rub, and pat in well. Place the log on either your grill or a baking pan fitted with a wire rack, and baste generously with the BBQ mixture.
The "classic" cooking method is to grill the thing over a low fire. I cook mine on a rack in the oven. In either case the object is, like for most BBQ, low and slow. In the oven I cook at 250°F; the time is 1 hour per inch of height of the finished log. That works out to about 3 hours for me. Baste the log about every 15-20 minutes with more of your BBQ sauce mixture. The final "done" temperature should be 140°F measured in the deepest part of the roll. (I insert the thermometer lengthwise from an end rather than through the side.)
Let it sit for about 10 minutes to firm up before carving into 3/4" - 1" slices.
Serving Size: Makes about 10 1" slices
Saute onion and mushrooms in the reserved bacon fat, adding a little butter only if the fat is all absorbed. Cool and crumble.
Mix the ground beef, sausage, and poultry together well. You can season the mixture with any spices that appeal to you, such as BBQ rub or Italian spices.
Combine 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Original) with 1/4 cup of maple syrup (you may alternately use pancake syrup, molasses, honey, or whatever other liquid sweetener you prefer), 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and enough water to thin it to a glaze consistency.
Make the weave:
On a large sheet of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper, place 5 slices of bacon side-by-side. Weave the other 5 slices in and out in the other direction through these slices. You should end up with what looks like a basketweave of bacon. See pictures at:
https://rootsgpk.blogspot.com/2009/01/bacon-explosion-super-bowl-cooking.html
Spread your ground meat mixture evenly to the edges of this foundation weave, leaving about 1/2-to-1-inch of uncovered bacon on the sides. Sprinkle generously with the BBQ rub of your choice (I used Paul Prudhomme's Magic BBQ Seasoning).
Mix together your cooled, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and the chopped olives. Spread this mixture evenly over the surface of the meat. Drizzle the BBQ sauce mix on top. Sprinkle the cooked, crumbled bacon pieces over all. Lay the mozzarella on the side closest to you, not quite extending to the edges (so it doesn't leak out in cooking).
This is where it gets a bit messy. ;-) Starting with the portion closest to you, roll the MEAT ONLY jelly-roll fashion to the opposite side of the weave. Using the foil or paper, snug the bacon weave around the meat log, and roll the entire affair back toward you. It should be as compact as you can get it. The "seam" of the weave should be on the bottom of the roll when you're finished.
Sprinkle the whole thing again with BBQ rub, and pat in well. Place the log on either your grill or a baking pan fitted with a wire rack, and baste generously with the BBQ mixture.
The "classic" cooking method is to grill the thing over a low fire. I cook mine on a rack in the oven. In either case the object is, like for most BBQ, low and slow. In the oven I cook at 250°F; the time is 1 hour per inch of height of the finished log. That works out to about 3 hours for me. Baste the log about every 15-20 minutes with more of your BBQ sauce mixture. The final "done" temperature should be 140°F measured in the deepest part of the roll. (I insert the thermometer lengthwise from an end rather than through the side.)
Let it sit for about 10 minutes to firm up before carving into 3/4" - 1" slices.
Serving Size: Makes about 10 1" slices
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 319.6
- Total Fat: 19.0 g
- Cholesterol: 50.5 mg
- Sodium: 2,032.5 mg
- Total Carbs: 21.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
- Protein: 15.7 g
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