Text 40460, 105 rader
Skriven 2010-07-29 17:16:04 av Stephen Haffly (1:396/45.27)
  Kommentar till text 40390 av Dale Shipp (1:261/1466.0)
Ärende: Fatties
===============
Hi Dale,

If you looked on the Smoking Meats Forum site, then you have seen
pictures of what I'm about to describe.  First, though, I think my
porkaphobe days are about over.  You'll see why shortly.

I am talking about Fatties.  These are otherwise known as a "Bacon
Explosion," the reason for which will become obvious.  I was reading
about these online, and decided to try making a couple.  I DID have to
put our new smoker to good use, didn't I?

First, the ingredients.  I made two, both variants on a theme.  The
range of fatties one can make is almost unlimited.  These are mine.

Ingredients:

1 Lb Italian sausage (mild for one batch, hot for another batch)
13 slices of bacon (thick or thin but the thin will probably crisp up
better)
6 slices of provolone cheese
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper (I actually used a Banana pepper this time since we
didn't have any bell peppers)
spinach leaves (I didn't count, but about 1/6th of a 9 oz bag for each
one).

Instructions:

Gather useful tools such as rolling pin, gallon-sized zipper bag, wax
(or parchment) paper, sharp knife or scissors, and also get the smoker
ready for smoking at 225 degrees F.

Take the bacon and on a sheet of waxed paper, lay out 7 strips
horizontally.  Remove strips 2, 4, and 6 (or fold them over to the right
to get them out of the way).  Lay one strip vertically on top of strips
1,3,5, and 7 so the left edge is aligned.  Lay strips 2,4,and 6 back
over the strip you set down.  Next, fold the odd strips to the left, lay
another vertical strip, then fold the odd strips back down.  Repeat,
alternating even and odd until you have 6 vertical strips, at which
point, you won't have room for another one.  You will now have your
bacon woven in a lattice (like weaving a pie crust).  Set this aside

Take the pound of sausage and place it inside the gallon bag and zip it
closed.  Using the rolling pin, roll it out until it is evenly flat and
fills the bag (making a pinhole in the corners to relase air is
helpful).  Set that aside.  It may be helpful to place it in the freezer
for a few minutes to stiffen it up.

Lay out a sheet of waxed paper.  Using the knife or sissors, cut the
edges of the bag.  (I think cutting the top with the zipper off and
splitting the side seams works best).  Carefully peel back the top layer
of plastic bag, leaving the meat on the bottom part.  Lay the waxed
paper over the top, then flip both over to that the wax paper is
underneath and the plastic is on top.  Carefully remove the plastic.

On top of the meat, layer the cheese, onion, pepper, and spinach.  Start
layering at one end and only go about 3/4 of the way toward the other
end (give or take an inch) to leave room for it to seal when you roll
it).

This is the tricky part.  If you have ever rolled sushi or a jelly roll,
you will have an idea of how to do this.  Take the wax paper starting at
the end with the filling touching it and carefully roll it, peeling the
wax paper back as you go so that it won't wind up being inside.  Make
sure you keep the filings inside and keep the sealing part clear. It may
be easier if you have a helper for this step. Once you get it rolled,
transfer it carefully to a piece of plastic wrap you have laid out and
roll it inside the plastic wrap, then pinch the ends and roll to
compress the roll and help give it a good shape.  The part you left
uncovered will seal the roll and help hold it together.

Take the bacon weave you did earlier and lay it out.  Unwrap the meat
roll from the plastic and lay it (seam side down) at one end of the grid
(should be the 7 horizontal/6 vertical strip orientation).  Carefully
roll the bacon grid onto the meat roll, using the wax paper to help
carry it around but removing it as you go so it will not get sealed
inside.  As in the last step, use a sheet of plastic wrap to compress
and shape the finished roll.

Place the roll in the smoker (or in your oven if you don't have a
smoker) and smoke for about 3 hours (until the temperature reaches 165
degrees F (I did mine to 170 degrees F, but 165 should be safe).  Remove
from smoker (or oven).

If you wish, you could place it under a broiler for a few minutes to
make the bacon more crisp.  This would be especially useful for thick
cut bacon, as the outside surface seemed good, but the inside was
cooked, but soft.  The warning is to keep an eye on it if you use this
method so it won't get burned.

Once done, let the fatty sit for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy.
Some suggestions I read were to have it on biscuits.  We had it on
bread, and it was quite good.  I personally liked the one made with the
hot Italian sausage better.


Regards,

Stephen
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