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Double-smoked Bacon Source?

Double-smoked Bacon Source?
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  • Double-smoked Bacon Source?

    Post #1 - November 24th, 2013, 9:59 pm
    Post #1 - November 24th, 2013, 9:59 pm Post #1 - November 24th, 2013, 9:59 pm
    Last Thanksgiving, I made a Brussels sprout dish, "Fatty Cue Brussels Sprouts," that called for double-smoked bacon, 1/4 lb. per 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts. I didn't have any, so used what was in the fridge. Everyone thought they were great, but because I always want to up my game, I'm wondering if I should seek out this delicacy that I haven't been able to find near me (Park Ridge). Thoughts? Should I try to get it at a meat market somewhere around here? From my on-line research, it's a German or Polish delicacy, but I haven't found a source yet.

    Thanks!
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #2 - November 24th, 2013, 10:12 pm
    Post #2 - November 24th, 2013, 10:12 pm Post #2 - November 24th, 2013, 10:12 pm
    sdbond wrote:Last Thanksgiving, I made a Brussels sprout dish, "Fatty Cue Brussels Sprouts," that called for double-smoked bacon, 1/4 lb. per 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts. I didn't have any, so used what was in the fridge. Everyone thought they were great, but because I always want to up my game, I'm wondering if I should seek out this delicacy that I haven't been able to find near me (Park Ridge). Thoughts? Should I try to get it at a meat market somewhere around here? From my on-line research, it's a German or Polish delicacy, but I haven't found a source yet.

    Thanks!

    I think you're on the right track. Near you, I'd suggest Fresh Farms. They have a large assortment of European-style cured meats in a case near the deli.

    They used to carry double-smoked bacon in small, cryovacked slabs at Lincolnwood Produce -- and they still may -- but I haven't been there in quite some time so I cannot confirm. I cannot remember the brand but I'm pretty sure it was produced locally.

    This product isn't always marked as double-smoked bacon (or even in English), but it's typically sold unsliced in small slabs, sometimes with the skin still on and it has a dark, mahogany color. Look for this color especially in the fat, The slabs often have a small hole in one of the corners, from which they were hung (the second time, after it was parted out) in the smokehouse.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #3 - November 24th, 2013, 10:24 pm
    Post #3 - November 24th, 2013, 10:24 pm Post #3 - November 24th, 2013, 10:24 pm
    I like this bacon. Strong hickory smoke and good bacon, but you currently have to wait five weeks for your order. Maybe next year's "up your game" option. Four single pound packages with delivery is about $40.

    Benton's

    http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

    2603 Hwy. 411
    North Madisonville, Tennessee 37354-6356
    Phone: (423) 442-5003
  • Post #4 - November 24th, 2013, 10:45 pm
    Post #4 - November 24th, 2013, 10:45 pm Post #4 - November 24th, 2013, 10:45 pm
    I have bought double smoked bacon at Paulina Market for years. They smoke their bacons in house. The Paulin double smoked might remind one of Benton's bacon, it is so smokey.
  • Post #5 - November 25th, 2013, 12:08 am
    Post #5 - November 25th, 2013, 12:08 am Post #5 - November 25th, 2013, 12:08 am
    I agree about Benton's, I try to always have a stash of that around. I think a suitable replacement would be found at George's Liquor and Deli. It is intensely smokey, dry cured and aged. A trip to George's is an experience worth having in itself.

    George's Liquor & Deli
    1964 W Lawrence Ave
    Chicago, IL 60640
    (773) 728-6333

    Image
    Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

    -Mark Twain
  • Post #6 - November 25th, 2013, 8:46 am
    Post #6 - November 25th, 2013, 8:46 am Post #6 - November 25th, 2013, 8:46 am
    i_openr wrote:I like this bacon. Strong hickory smoke and good bacon, but you currently have to wait five weeks for your order. Maybe next year's "up your game" option. Four single pound packages with delivery is about $40.

    Benton's

    http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

    2603 Hwy. 411
    North Madisonville, Tennessee 37354-6356
    Phone: (423) 442-5003

    And if you get a chance to get there (it's about an hour's detour from the route to the Great Smoky Mountain Natl Park), it's one of the best-smelling places in the world, and the ham and bacon are significantly cheaper than mail-order.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #7 - November 25th, 2013, 5:22 pm
    Post #7 - November 25th, 2013, 5:22 pm Post #7 - November 25th, 2013, 5:22 pm
    We order Benton's a slab at a time, sliced.
    It's the best bacon I know of but it's not heavily smoked
    and I don't think it would qualify as a 'double smoked' bacon.-Dick
  • Post #8 - November 25th, 2013, 6:00 pm
    Post #8 - November 25th, 2013, 6:00 pm Post #8 - November 25th, 2013, 6:00 pm
    budrichard wrote:We order Benton's a slab at a time, sliced.
    It's the best bacon I know of but it's not heavily smoked
    and I don't think it would qualify as a 'double smoked' bacon.-Dick


    Benton smokes his bacon for 3 full days with heavy smoke. When I open the box the entire apartment smells like a campfire for a few days. You must be ordering a different type of bacon or mixing Benton up with someone else?
    Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

    -Mark Twain
  • Post #9 - November 26th, 2013, 1:31 am
    Post #9 - November 26th, 2013, 1:31 am Post #9 - November 26th, 2013, 1:31 am
    I believe that Harczak Sausage in Norwood Park sells it (or they did in the past). I have also bought it from City Fresh foods under the brand name George's Meats, which is the wholesale side of George's Liquor and Deli that was mentioned above. Harczak sausages are also available at City Fresh market. In my experience, double-smoked bacon is very dry. It is not like bacon at all in that it can't be sliced and fried, but it is more suited for adding to sauces, soups and stews.


    Harczak Sausage
    7035 W Higgins Ave
    Chicago, IL 60656
    (773) 631-8400

    City Fresh Market
    3201 West Devon Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60659
    773-681-8600
  • Post #10 - November 26th, 2013, 1:24 pm
    Post #10 - November 26th, 2013, 1:24 pm Post #10 - November 26th, 2013, 1:24 pm
    The dry cured bacon (slanina) from George's is great, it works well diced and fried to render the fat. Anything that calls for lardons, use this for a little more smoke :)
  • Post #11 - November 26th, 2013, 1:28 pm
    Post #11 - November 26th, 2013, 1:28 pm Post #11 - November 26th, 2013, 1:28 pm
    I'm happy to have some new bacon sources.
    sdbond, other than the bacon/ brussel sprouts ratio, anything to add on your recipe. My oldest daughter loves brussel sprouts and I'm going to throw your dish into the rotation this year.
  • Post #12 - November 26th, 2013, 3:14 pm
    Post #12 - November 26th, 2013, 3:14 pm Post #12 - November 26th, 2013, 3:14 pm
    laikom wrote:
    budrichard wrote:We order Benton's a slab at a time, sliced.
    It's the best bacon I know of but it's not heavily smoked
    and I don't think it would qualify as a 'double smoked' bacon.-Dick


    Benton smokes his bacon for 3 full days with heavy smoke. When I open the box the entire apartment smells like a campfire for a few days. You must be ordering a different type of bacon or mixing Benton up with someone else?


    Not mixing Benton's bacon up with any other bacon. We just got a slab about a month ago.
    I believe you may be relating Benton's to the run of the mill factory bacon which has smoke in name only.
    Benton't would certainly be smoky compared to factory bacon.
    We get our Benton's sliced and in vacuum packages.
    Do you get an unsliced slab and then let sit out?
    Our packages go right into the fridge and neither the house nor the fridge smells smokey.
    I think the smoke level of Benton's is about right but I wouldn't term it double smoked and neither does Allan Benton.-Dick
  • Post #13 - November 26th, 2013, 4:17 pm
    Post #13 - November 26th, 2013, 4:17 pm Post #13 - November 26th, 2013, 4:17 pm
    The Boback's formerly in the Burr Ridge shopping center always had double-smoked bacon in their deli case - not packaged. It was always quite good.
    Suburban gourmand
  • Post #14 - November 26th, 2013, 4:46 pm
    Post #14 - November 26th, 2013, 4:46 pm Post #14 - November 26th, 2013, 4:46 pm
    I don't know if Benton's is double smoked. I don't even know what that technically means. Does it mean cold smoked then hot smoked, or just smoked for a longer time? The only info I could dig up online is this article and this ehow (which I never trust)which says double smoked is smoked for up to 24 hours instead of 6 (benton's is smoked for about 72 hours). Can someone enlighten me as to what double smoked actually means?

    The truth is I have never bought double smoked bacon, but there is no denying that Benton's is extremely smokey, too smokey for a lot of people. In any case, Benton describes his bacon as "a very intense cured smokey flavor. If you don't like smoke, you're not going to like my bacon" It is in the cure for 10 days, in equalization for 10 days, aged for 10 days then smoked for 3 days.
    Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

    -Mark Twain
  • Post #15 - November 26th, 2013, 9:39 pm
    Post #15 - November 26th, 2013, 9:39 pm Post #15 - November 26th, 2013, 9:39 pm
    i_openr wrote:I'm happy to have some new bacon sources.
    sdbond, other than the bacon/ brussel sprouts ratio, anything to add on your recipe. My oldest daughter loves brussel sprouts and I'm going to throw your dish into the rotation this year.


    i_openr, sure, happy to share! I got the recipe from a 2010 NYT article; it is from a Brooklyn restaurant called "Fatty Cue" that I think LTHers would like to visit -- at least I know I would! They describe themselves this way:

    "Fatty ‘Cue is an effort, by a few of the members of the Fatty Crew, to bring the West Village and Brooklyn a little Southeast Asian fermented funkiness and a whole helluva a lot of smoke. Local and humanely grown/raised/fished products are subjected to our unique flavorings, scrubbed and rubbed, perhaps dropped in a salty-sweet dip pool, and then lovingly treated to low temperature smoke “baths.” All for your dining pleasure.

    "Our goal is to balance quivering fatty morsels of deliciousness with bright citrus notes, fiery chili heat, rich fermented and briny washes and complex, unrefined, natural sweetness. Or, in a less obtuse manner, fun, tasty food! Our two Ole Hickory smokers are the main cooking elements in the restaurant, even providing the bar with many of their condiments.

    The music is always on. And, we all smell like sweet, local oak wood and booze…which is a nice smell."

    See more at: http://fattycue.com/who-we-are#sthash.IPTqQZvk.dpuf

    Here is the link to the recipe, as it appeared in the NYT; below that are my notes from making it last year in my home kitchen:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/dinin ... .html?_r=0

    Sharon's Notes on ingredients, prep and process from 2012:

    1. Thai bird chilies – these puppies can bring some serious heat, so depending on your preference, you might want to only use one in this recipe, as outlined in Step 1 above. (For reference, I used one when I made the recipe.)

    Also, while stemming and slicing the chili, consider wearing thin gloves so as to avoid getting the chili’s oils on your hands and possibly under your nails. It is very difficult to wash away, and isn’t really visible, but will leave behind an unpleasant stinging sensation for a while. I had always scoffed at the glove notion when working with chilies until I made this recipe (and something else recently that called for this type of chili), and did indeed get a bit of oil under my nails – not pleasant! Also, these are easily found in the produce section at Tony’s Finer Foods on Dempster, but are rarely seen at Dominick’s and Jewel.

    2. Double-smoked bacon – I used the hickory-smoked bacon I had on hand. One more bacon tip: I had to slice up a lot of raw bacon for various Thanksgiving recipes, and I found the easiest and fastest way to do it was to use kitchen shears.

    3. Coriander seeds, crushed – I only had ground coriander in the spice cabinet, and I think it works just fine, especially if you don’t have the extra time needed to crush the seeds. (I don’t have a spice grinder or mortar and pestle that can easily accomplish this kind of task, so for me, crushing from seed takes more effort than might be gained from the little bit of extra flavor you might get.)

    4. 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved – the recipe doesn’t specify if they mean 1 lb. of sprouts weighed before or after trimming, so I weighed them after trimming, and 1 lb. of halves fit perfectly in my 12-inch skillet.

    5. The very first step says to “combine one of the chilies with the garlic and shallots in a food processor and purée, or use a mortar and pestle.” Later, it refers to what you get from the puréeing as a “paste.” Well, let me tell you, I processed and processed and processed the heck out of the shallot, garlic and chili, and was getting absolutely nothing that looked like a purée, or a paste, or a thick slurry, until I added in a tablespoon of water through my food processor’s feed tube. That seemed to do the trick. So, if you have the same issue, add water, one tablespoon at a time, until you get something that looks like what the recipe describes.

    6. Again with the garlic-shallot paste: In step 4, the recipe says to “add garlic-shallot paste and cook over low heat until fragrant, about one minute.” This is probably related more to my having an electric rangetop that requires a fair bit of fiddling to get the burners to the best temperature, but I found it took way more than a minute for the paste to become “fragrant” at low heat. It just sat there like a lump in the middle of my skillet, daring me to will it into submission. I finally cranked the burner up a bit at a time, stirring frequently, until I got the “fragrant” result. (I didn’t want to burn the paste and have to start over with the pureeing process.) This step is also why you should add as little water as possible to the puréeing process so that you don’t end up having to wait for the water to cook out in the pan.

    7. In step 4, the recipe says to “add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until sprouts are mostly tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and reduce broth to the consistency of a glaze.” I found that the ¼-cup broth called for was not sufficient to achieve what was described here – the sprouts soaked up the broth almost immediately, leaving virtually no liquid to either simmer or reduce to a glaze. Just in case this was a function of the sprouts I purchased being dry vs. a problem with the recipe, I would start out with the ¼-cup called for, see what happens after a few seconds, then, if needed, add up to ¼-cup more in increments, stirring carefully after each addition so as not to disturb the browned crust on the bottom of your sprouts. (To my mind, you don’t want to add so much broth that its flavor overwhelms the other ingredients.)
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #16 - November 26th, 2013, 9:43 pm
    Post #16 - November 26th, 2013, 9:43 pm Post #16 - November 26th, 2013, 9:43 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    sdbond wrote:Last Thanksgiving, I made a Brussels sprout dish, "Fatty Cue Brussels Sprouts," that called for double-smoked bacon, 1/4 lb. per 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts. I didn't have any, so used what was in the fridge. Everyone thought they were great, but because I always want to up my game, I'm wondering if I should seek out this delicacy that I haven't been able to find near me (Park Ridge). Thoughts? Should I try to get it at a meat market somewhere around here? From my on-line research, it's a German or Polish delicacy, but I haven't found a source yet.

    Thanks!

    I think you're on the right track. Near you, I'd suggest Fresh Farms. They have a large assortment of European-style cured meats in a case near the deli.

    They used to carry double-smoked bacon in small, cryovacked slabs at Lincolnwood Produce -- and they still may -- but I haven't been there in quite some time so I cannot confirm. I cannot remember the brand but I'm pretty sure it was produced locally.

    This product isn't always marked as double-smoked bacon (or even in English), but it's typically sold unsliced in small slabs, sometimes with the skin still on and it has a dark, mahogany color. Look for this color especially in the fat, The slabs often have a small hole in one of the corners, from which they were hung (the second time, after it was parted out) in the smokehouse.

    =R=


    Thanks, Ronnie; I will be right by there tomorrow, so fingers crossed Fresh Farms has it. I think I will take the German spelling with me -- might make it easier to find. (That would be "Geräucherter Speck," in case anyone else is interested.)

    Sharon
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #17 - November 26th, 2013, 10:00 pm
    Post #17 - November 26th, 2013, 10:00 pm Post #17 - November 26th, 2013, 10:00 pm
    i_openr wrote:I like this bacon. Strong hickory smoke and good bacon, but you currently have to wait five weeks for your order. Maybe next year's "up your game" option. Four single pound packages with delivery is about $40.

    Benton's

    http://bentonscountryhams2.com/

    2603 Hwy. 411
    North Madisonville, Tennessee 37354-6356
    Phone: (423) 442-5003


    I will definitely need to start planning for next Thanksgiving early enough to get some of this good stuff!
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #18 - November 26th, 2013, 10:02 pm
    Post #18 - November 26th, 2013, 10:02 pm Post #18 - November 26th, 2013, 10:02 pm
    thick wrote:I have bought double smoked bacon at Paulina Market for years. They smoke their bacons in house. The Paulin double smoked might remind one of Benton's bacon, it is so smokey.


    Thanks for the tip! We are down to one vehicle at the moment, so I doubt I can get down there tomorrow. But I am adding them to my list of sources!
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #19 - November 26th, 2013, 10:05 pm
    Post #19 - November 26th, 2013, 10:05 pm Post #19 - November 26th, 2013, 10:05 pm
    d4v3 wrote:I believe that Harczak Sausage in Norwood Park sells it (or they did in the past). I have also bought it from City Fresh foods under the brand name George's Meats, which is the wholesale side of George's Liquor and Deli that was mentioned above. Harczak sausages are also available at City Fresh market. In my experience, double-smoked bacon is very dry. It is not like bacon at all in that it can't be sliced and fried, but it is more suited for adding to sauces, soups and stews.


    Harczak Sausage
    7035 W Higgins Ave
    Chicago, IL 60656
    (773) 631-8400

    City Fresh Market
    3201 West Devon Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60659
    773-681-8600


    Hmm ... the recipe says to "2. Fry bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until most of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add coriander seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer bacon to paper towels using a slotted spoon." But, I don't know what the restaurant's definition of double-smoked bacon is. (Where the recipe I have originated.)
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #20 - November 26th, 2013, 10:08 pm
    Post #20 - November 26th, 2013, 10:08 pm Post #20 - November 26th, 2013, 10:08 pm
    It appears that the Geräucherter Speck is hot smoked for 24 hours, or at least hot for half of that time. http://gastrofunwithandrew.blogspot.com ... llies.html
    Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

    -Mark Twain
  • Post #21 - November 26th, 2013, 10:09 pm
    Post #21 - November 26th, 2013, 10:09 pm Post #21 - November 26th, 2013, 10:09 pm
    laikom wrote:I don't know if Benton's is double smoked. I don't even know what that technically means. Does it mean cold smoked then hot smoked, or just smoked for a longer time? The only info I could dig up online is this article and this ehow (which I never trust)which says double smoked is smoked for up to 24 hours instead of 6 (benton's is smoked for about 72 hours). Can someone enlighten me as to what double smoked actually means?

    The truth is I have never bought double smoked bacon, but there is no denying that Benton's is extremely smokey, too smokey for a lot of people. In any case, Benton describes his bacon as "a very intense cured smokey flavor. If you don't like smoke, you're not going to like my bacon" It is in the cure for 10 days, in equalization for 10 days, aged for 10 days then smoked for 3 days.


    I would say you and I now have about the same knowledge as to what constitutes double-smoked bacon! I do love smoky, so I think I would like Benton's. In the recipe, you fry the bacon until the fat renders, so what they mean by the term is not something that is dry that you can't slice or sear, as someone described above. I've only got time tomorrow to go to one place, and that's going to have to be Fresh Farms, so hopefully I can at least find a version of it. I will report back!

    Sharon
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #22 - November 26th, 2013, 10:26 pm
    Post #22 - November 26th, 2013, 10:26 pm Post #22 - November 26th, 2013, 10:26 pm
    laikom wrote:It appears that the Geräucherter Speck is hot smoked for 24 hours, or at least hot for half of that time. http://gastrofunwithandrew.blogspot.com ... llies.html

    That would definitely explain how hard and dense it is.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #23 - November 27th, 2013, 5:06 am
    Post #23 - November 27th, 2013, 5:06 am Post #23 - November 27th, 2013, 5:06 am
    I bought Benton's bacon at Schaefer's in Skokie earlier this year. They were having a special food event, so I don't know if it was a regular item or something they brought in for the event, but it seemed like a regular item.
  • Post #24 - November 27th, 2013, 9:44 am
    Post #24 - November 27th, 2013, 9:44 am Post #24 - November 27th, 2013, 9:44 am
    MikeLM wrote:The Boback's formerly in the Burr Ridge shopping center always had double-smoked bacon in their deli case - not packaged. It was always quite good.



    Appears Bobaks has it online as well. Perhaps also in their store?


    "Any of our "Hunter" products are double smoked, so you know what that means?"


    http://bobak.com/shop/index.php/smoked- ... bacon.html


    5275 S. Archer Ave
    Chicago, IL 60632 USA
  • Post #25 - November 27th, 2013, 11:01 am
    Post #25 - November 27th, 2013, 11:01 am Post #25 - November 27th, 2013, 11:01 am
    Based on this article http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/style ... bacon.html
    I have ordered some of the double smoked Shaller & Weber bacon.
    I needed some goose liver sausage anyway since Usinger's only makes a goose liver 'style' sausage these days.
    Anyway, I will try and see how it compares to Benton's bacon in terms of smoke.-Dick
  • Post #26 - November 27th, 2013, 2:05 pm
    Post #26 - November 27th, 2013, 2:05 pm Post #26 - November 27th, 2013, 2:05 pm
    sdbond wrote:
    d4v3 wrote:I believe that Harczak Sausage in Norwood Park sells it (or they did in the past). I have also bought it from City Fresh foods under the brand name George's Meats, which is the wholesale side of George's Liquor and Deli that was mentioned above. Harczak sausages are also available at City Fresh market. In my experience, double-smoked bacon is very dry. It is not like bacon at all in that it can't be sliced and fried, but it is more suited for adding to sauces, soups and stews.


    Harczak Sausage
    7035 W Higgins Ave
    Chicago, IL 60656
    (773) 631-8400

    City Fresh Market
    3201 West Devon Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60659
    773-681-8600


    Hmm ... the recipe says to "2. Fry bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until most of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add coriander seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer bacon to paper towels using a slotted spoon." But, I don't know what the restaurant's definition of double-smoked bacon is. (Where the recipe I have originated.)
    What I meant is that double-smoked bacon is not suitable for frying and eating in strips like regular bacon, because it is too chewy. Not that it cannot be sautéed before adding to a recipe. The double-smoked bacon that I have bought, is much drier, leaner and denser than regular (single-smoked) bacon with almost a dried meat consistency (like Basturma) and a deep reddish-brown hue. Again, like you say, what Harzcak and George's refer to as double-smoked may not be the same as what is referred to by the author of the recipe.

    My very favorite bacon is made by Zoran Lalich of Lalich delicatessen, he makes several varieties (though I don't believe double-smoked is one of them).

    Lalich Delicatessens
    4208 W Lawrence Ave
    Chicago, IL 60630
    (773) 545-3642
  • Post #27 - November 27th, 2013, 4:31 pm
    Post #27 - November 27th, 2013, 4:31 pm Post #27 - November 27th, 2013, 4:31 pm
    d4v3 wrote:
    sdbond wrote:
    d4v3 wrote:I believe that Harczak Sausage in Norwood Park sells it (or they did in the past). I have also bought it from City Fresh foods under the brand name George's Meats, which is the wholesale side of George's Liquor and Deli that was mentioned above. Harczak sausages are also available at City Fresh market. In my experience, double-smoked bacon is very dry. It is not like bacon at all in that it can't be sliced and fried, but it is more suited for adding to sauces, soups and stews.


    Harczak Sausage
    7035 W Higgins Ave
    Chicago, IL 60656
    (773) 631-8400

    City Fresh Market
    3201 West Devon Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60659
    773-681-8600


    Hmm ... the recipe says to "2. Fry bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until most of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add coriander seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer bacon to paper towels using a slotted spoon." But, I don't know what the restaurant's definition of double-smoked bacon is. (Where the recipe I have originated.)
    What I meant is that double-smoked bacon is not suitable for frying and eating in strips like regular bacon, because it is too chewy. Not that it cannot be sautéed before adding to a recipe. The double-smoked bacon that I have bought, is much drier, leaner and denser than regular (single-smoked) bacon with almost a dried meat consistency (like Basturma) and a deep reddish-brown hue. Again, like you say, what Harzcak and George's refer to as double-smoked may not be the same as what is referred to by the author of the recipe.

    My very favorite bacon is made by Zoran Lalich of Lalich delicatessen, he makes several varieties (though I don't believe double-smoked is one of them).

    Lalich Delicatessens
    4208 W Lawrence Ave
    Chicago, IL 60630
    (773) 545-3642


    Ah ... thanks for the clarification! The recipe is silent on the bacon issue, but from going to the restaurant's website, I have a feeling they make their own -- but I'm not sure to what specifications. Maybe one day I will call or write them and ask! http://www.fattycue.com
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #28 - November 27th, 2013, 4:37 pm
    Post #28 - November 27th, 2013, 4:37 pm Post #28 - November 27th, 2013, 4:37 pm
    Score! :D

    Due to time constraints, my choice of shopping venues today had to be limited to one. So, I rolled the dice and picked Tony's Finer Foods on Dempster just north of Greenwood in Niles, because I know they carry Thai bird chiles, and I know the layout of the store way better than Fresh Farms. With DH grousing, I knew he would not enjoy any dithering I might do while trying to find what I needed.

    Well, it turns out Tony's carries the Schaller & Weber double-smoked bacon at $10.99/lb in the self-serve section of the deli department. Picked up an almost 1-lb. package =and= my Thai bird chiles, so I can test out the recipe as written.

    Happy cooking, everyone!

    Sharon
    "When I'm born I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die I'm a Tar Heel dead."
  • Post #29 - November 28th, 2013, 1:09 am
    Post #29 - November 28th, 2013, 1:09 am Post #29 - November 28th, 2013, 1:09 am
    After doing some research, it turns out that Double Smoked Bacon is not really double smoked. It is just bacon that is smoked for a really long time (like 24 hours as opposed to 2-3 hours). Instead of using a brine, it is usually dry rubbed and cured in its own juices (but not always). That accounts for its chewier texture. Also, some of the fat is rendered out during the lengthy smoking process.
  • Post #30 - November 28th, 2013, 6:20 am
    Post #30 - November 28th, 2013, 6:20 am Post #30 - November 28th, 2013, 6:20 am
    "Well, it turns out Tony's carries the Schaller & Weber double-smoked bacon at $10.99/lb in the self-serve section of the deli department. Picked up an almost 1-lb. package =and= my Thai bird chiles, so I can test out the recipe as written."

    Good to know.
    I'm interested in your opinion of the Schaller & Weber bacon?

    Most of the bacon we have been discussing is not brined.
    Brining is for factory bacons.
    When I ran out of Benton's a couple of months ago, i purchased a # of Patrick Cudahy bacon.
    Sliced so thin it was almost useless, almost 100% fat, no taste, no smoke.
    Right from the package before cooking, it looked like a disaster and it was.-Dick

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