Put Away the Pigskin and Put Out the Pig Candy
OK, the Super Bowl is over so now you have to get back to eating right. Right? Well, I’ll tell you what eating right is: a little delicacy called Bacon Peanut Brittle.
It is absolutely addictive and a great thing to do with any leftover peanuts from Sunday’s game. I created this “pig candy” a few years ago for a “pork-in-every-course” class that I was teaching called Swine and Wine. The brittle was the after-dessert mignardises. It was a whim when I first made it, but one that I have seen catching on lately.
Because it is smoky, sweet, salty and savory all in one bite, it makes a great snack, appetizer or dessert. And because it is so satisfying, you really don’t eat that much of it—I mean, your teeth would be aching and your jaw would be sore if you sat down and ate a whole batch at once. I love making it and bringing it to friends as a hostess gift or setting it out with assorted nibbles and bits when I have people over for drinks. When the brittle is cool, I place the shards in an old-fashioned mason jar, but you could give it away as a party favor in plastic bags and I am sure no one would complain!
The key to making the brittle crystal clear (see picture) instead of cloudy is making sure that the bacon is not over-cooked or burned (dice raw bacon and cook slowly over low heat) and that all the excess fat is drained away from the bacon. I do this by wrapping the drained bacon in a few layers of paper towels and gently wringing it out. Other than this, there is no trick to making the brittle.
If you want to really up the ante, make it with Schaller and Weber’s double-smoked bacon. It is by far the best bacon I have ever tasted and I have tasted them all! If you don’t live in the New York area, you’ll have to order it by web or mail but it is well worth the wait! Click the link to read the recipe.
Bacon Peanut Brittle a.k.a. Pig Candy
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure ground ancho chili*, or to taste
Pinch of ground Cayenne pepper
1 cup whole salted, roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked, crumbled Applewood bacon, fully rendered and drained well
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
Butter a baking sheet with about ½ tablespoon of the butter and set aside.
Place sugar and corn syrup in a large, heavy 4 or 5 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the sugar and corn syrup until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly and is pale golden brown. Add the ground chile and cayenne and cook for 2-3 minutes longer or until the sugar mixture has reached the hard-crack stage, about 300ºF if you are using a candy thermometer.
Take off the heat and working very quickly, stir in the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and then beat in the baking soda. Add the peanuts and bacon and mix well. Immediately pour onto the prepared baking sheet—it should even itself out, but if it doesn’t, smooth with a spatula and let cool.
Break the brittle into pieces by giving the entire tray a sharp slap on the kitchen counter. If it is made right, that’s all it will take! Store Brittle in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Makes about 1 lb
Recipe Tip*
The ground ancho chile peppers make a big difference in this recipe so don’t leave them out. If you can’t find them ground in your local store, buy whole dried ancho chiles; they are available every where—I’ve even seen them at convenience stores! I actually prefer grinding them myself and never buy the chile already ground.
~Elizabeth K.
Elizabeth Karmel has been the featured guest on many Food Network programs and specials.
She has also appeared on the Today show multiple times, CBS The Early
Show, MSNBC in-flight programming and local television stations. Her website is GirlsAtTheGrill.com.
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