Crunchy Roasted Bacon Slabs With Bourbon Peanut Butter Dip

BACON. 

Now that I have your attention, let's get right down to the business of this perfect storm of smoky, salty, sweet and spicy, crunchy bacon goodness. 

If you've been following Dinner Plan-it since our trip to Kentucky Bourbon Country, I've mentioned the crush I have on the Bacon In A Glass at OBC Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky. It's just one of those food memories that haunts your taste buds, beckons you to indulge again..and again. But it's a 6 hour drive to OBC Kitchen. There was nothing else to do but recreate the dish at home.

Although the OBC Kitchen serves this as an app, I've been making it for brunch without the peanut butter dip. If you can't make it to Kentucky to sample this wonderfulness for yourself, here's my version of their classic. If you CAN make the trip to Lexington (and I strongly urge you to visit the Bourbon Trail), be sure not to miss it!

Crunchy Roasted Bacon Slabs 

With Bourbon Peanut Butter Dip 

• 1 lb VERY thick sliced (slabs of) bacon - packaged bacon just won't do, get it from your butcher. My bacon butcher is Butcher On Butler - tell them I sent you.
• 2/3 C brown sugar
• 2 t ancho chile powder
• Demerara sugar for finishing - Demerara is a large crystal raw cane sugar with a rich molasses note. It's not hard to find, even Giant Eagle has it!

Dip:

• 1/3 C smooth peanut butter
• 2 T Mike's Hot Honey - or regular honey if you don't want extra heat
• 2 T bourbon - I used Bulleit
• 1 T maple syrup
• 2 T water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet WITH A RIM (so you don't have molten sugar and bacon grease all over the bottom of your oven) with parchment paper (for easy clean up, you'll thank me). Then set a wire rack on top of the parchment covered baking sheet. 

Mix brown sugar and ancho chile powder together and spread on a plate. Dredge each slice of bacon in the sugar mixture on both sides, then lay the slabs, without touching each other, on the rack on top of the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. The time could be more or less depending on the thickness of your bacon. 

While the bacon is roasting, spread demerara sugar on a dinner plate or paper plate.

Remove from the oven when the bacon is well browned, but not burned. If the slices are not crisp, that's just fine as they will firm up as they cool. 

As you remove each slice from the rack, immediately coat both sides in demerara sugar. Lay each slice on another parchment covered baking sheet to cool and set. 

For the dip: In a microwave safe small bowl, mix all the dip ingredients. Nuke for a few seconds, stir, nuke again until well combined and warm but not hot. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water.

Once the bacon slices have firmed up, stand them in a glass, dip in peanut butter and it's party time!

Bourbon Honey Bacon In A Glass with peanut butter dip at OBC Kitchen in Lexington, KY.