APRIL/MAY 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 3KITCHEN
SHORTCUTSProof Positive
–Amy Elizabeth, Sarasota, Fla.Bread recipes often call for letting
dough rise until it’s roughly doubled
in size, but I have trouble judging the
diff erence. A baker friend taught me
a handy trick: I place the dough in a
transparent bowl, cover the bowl with
plastic wrap, and then trace the out-
line of the dough on the plastic on the
outside of the side of the bowl with a
permanent marker. This way, it’s easy
to tell how big the dough was when I
placed it in the bowl.Compiled by Matthew FairmanUpping the Ante with Artisanal Bacon
by Miye BrombergALL BACON IS special, but some small-batch artisanal bacon is extra-special—
and priced accordingly. Since we last tasted artisanal bacons, more bacons made
by smaller-scale producers have become available online. We
were curious how our previous favorite, Vande Rose Apple-
wood Smoked Artisan Dry Cured Bacon ($29.07 per pound,
including shipping), stacked up against the competition, so
we tasted it alongside six other high-end dry-cured bacons, all available online and
priced from $8.00 to $14.75 per pound (shipping not included). We tried them
plain, in our Southern-Style Green Beans, and in BLTs. What did we fi nd out?We liked all the bacons we tried, but often in diff erent applications. Some
were great in green beans but too intense when eaten plain; others were good
plain but got lost in a BLT. As it turned out, a lot hinged on just how long—and
how extensively—the bacons had been cured and smoked. In general, we liked
complex, meaty-tasting bacons with moderate smoke fl avor and relatively low
sodium. While we can recommend every product, Vande Rose came out on top
once again. We’ve given some information on where each bacon shined bright-
est in the comments below. Web members can fi nd a more in-depth version at
CooksCountry.com/may19.Illu
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PRODUCT
TASTINGRECOMMENDEDVande Rose Apple-
wood Smoked Artisan
Dry Cured Bacon
Price: $29.07 per lb
(including shipping)
Comments: Balanced
smoke, salt, and sugar.
Thick and substantial.
Great in all applications.Burgers’
Smokehouse Original
Country Bacon
Price: $12.49 per lb
(plus shipping)
Comments: Salty, mildly
smoky. Thin and crispy.
Good in all applications.Tender Belly
Signature Blend Dry
Cured Maple Bacon
Price: $14.75 per lb
(plus shipping)
Comments: Sweet,
spiced. Thick and tender.
Good in BLTs.Broadbent Hickory
Smoked Bacon
Price: $9.69 per lb
(plus shipping)
Comments: Salty, funky.
Thick but crispy. Great
in BLTs.Col. Bill Newsom’s
Hickory Smoked
Bacon
Price: $14.49 per lb
(plus shipping)
Comments: Smoky,
salty, mineral-y. Thin
and crispy. Fantastic in
green beans.Benton’s Hickory
Smoked Country
Bacon
Price: $8.00 per lb
(plus shipping)
Comments: Smoky,
funky, porky. Thick and
substantial. Best plain
and in green beans.Bill E’s Small Batch
Bacon
Price: $12.99 per lb
(plus shipping)
Comments: Big porky
fl avor, very mild smoki-
ness. Thick and meaty.
Best plain.Do Put All Your Eggs
in One Basket
–Donna Leach, Nipomo, Calif.When I was making a big batch of egg
salad, it occurred to me that there
was a faster way to cut up all those
hard-cooked eggs. Instead of using my
chef’s knife as usual, I put the eggs in
a mixing bowl and chopped them up
quickly with a pastry cutter. Since it
has fi ve blades, it’s incredibly fast. Not
only that, but it prevents me from get-
ting eggs all over a cutting board.Crushing It
–Scott Flaherty, Somerville, Mass.I like to make stir-fry for a quick supper, but I’m not great at slicing beef
or chicken really thin. If I end up with a few slices that are thicker than
ideal, I lay them (individually) on my cutting board and, similar to crush-
ing garlic cloves, use the fl at side of my knife to fl atten and thin the meat
with just a quick whack with my hand (you can use a meat pounder, too).