Simply The Best

I owe Chilebrown a favor. Perhaps a big cup of Catahoula coffee (his current favorite) or a jar of my peach jam once it is made in September. Or something significant, anyway, because he let me know that Baron's Meats in Alameda carries Nueske's Bacon.*

When I first moved to this area, there was a wonderful little market in our town that carried Nueske's bacon. Sadly, it has changed hands and the new owners carry some other, in my view vastly inferior, brand. So, when I heard Nueske's was available elsewhere, I girded my loins for a trip down the "Nasty Nimitz" highway to Alameda - in the rain, no less, which should show you just how dedicated a Nueske's fan I truly am.

The charming young butcher behind the counter (she who dressed as a giant steak for Hallowe'en last year and posted a picture of herself so adorned on the side of the cash register) hand-sliced my pound, the resulting rashers being thicker than any I had ever prepared before and a little more difficult to crisp without burning but, oh, that Nueske's flavor! Salt, smoke and sweet balanced perfectly in a chewy-but-crispy matrix of meat and fat. We had the first BLTs of the summer season, a fitting tribute to simply the best bacon I've ever tasted.

*BTW, you can order Nueske's bacon online from the website and Father's Day is just around the corner. A bacon sampler doesn't cost much and I can pretty much guarantee that your Dad will love you best if you give him bacon. Just remember that it's like online gambling - addictive.