Coat Your Bacon With Chocolate For The Ultimate Savory, Sweet Treat

There's always unease with culinary crossover: Combine two beloved foods, and they may not improve once together. Yet, meld bacon with chocolate, and rest assured the combination delivers. Think of the pairing like candied bacon, but taken up a notch. The sweet-savory combo hits all the right tasting notes: The meatiness of the cured pork weighs perfectly against the chocolate's sugary richness. And the texture also delights, with the meat's crispiness ideally contrasting chocolate's gooey bites.

Assembling the dish does involve some added effort opposed to a typical batch of the breakfast classic. You'll need to start with an easy way to cook bacon, like in the oven, generating a batch of crispy, but not brittle pork strips. Then, grab the chocolate of your choice — ideally a semi-sweet — although you could use a dark or milk variety, too. Follow by melting the cocoa product into adhesive form, perhaps tempering in the microwave for an aesthetic sheen. Then, dip or brush the sweet chocolate onto the pork, coating it in all the decadent richness.

For easier eating, you can also consider threading the bacon onto a skewer, although such a move is not strictly necessary. What you will need to do is cool the scrumptious foodstuff in the fridge — for around 15 to 30 minutes — thereby solidifying the appetizing dish. Bite into a batch, and let the flavors impress.

A batch of chocolate-covered bacon dependably intrigues. But don't neglect using the pairing as a canvas for adding more flavors or flourishes. Just a simple sprinkle of coarse sea salt will enhance the dish, adding a pleasant sparkle on the exterior. Coat in chili for big bacon flavors; candidates like earthy Aleppo, spicy cayenne, or smokey chipotle all work to throw some heat into the mix.

Texturally, there's also room for expansion. Some toasted nuts — perhaps walnuts, pistachios, or almonds — add a nice crunch that goes right alongside the bacon's crisp. And in a similar vein, you can also consider using some dried fruit; perhaps mango, apricot, or apple, taking the palate in a more dessert-like direction. Feeling particularly adventurous? Toss on some coconut, making this a like meaty Bounty candy bar. Serve for dinner, dessert, or alongside a drink — there's no bad context for the dish.

And feel free to prep the treat in advance, too. Since the chocolate could melt and there's cooked meat involved, make sure to store the bacon in the fridge. Lay out the bites atop wax paper to prevent messy adhesion. Once sealed in a container, the bacon will last for around three days; although more than likely, it'll be enjoyed before that.