Applegate Farms Sunday Bacon Is Excellent

Sometimes, its just about the pig. And good pig is hard to find. Bacon, in particular. I have always found many large national brands to be sliced to thin, fatty and therefore difficult to cook properly (see below for my favorite method). An exception to this is the nitrate free, antibiotic free, uncured, hardwood smoked "Sunday Bacon" from Applegate Farms, which is available at Zabar's and seemingly every other fancy food store in New York.

Given how free it is of everything, Applegate is not free of taste: it tastes pretty good. It also cooks easily, without too much curling or burning. And it is available in 8 ounce packages, which is as close to "diet" as bacon comes.

As for how to cook bacon: I like to place the bacon on a cold griddle and then heat it to medium high. I turn the bacon once with tongs, and use the tongs to straighten out any curling. I will give the strips another flip if needed. Remember, bacon cooks for a few seconds after you remove it from the grill, so don't overcook! If you need to make multiple batches, I try to clean the griddle as much as possible between batches. This prevents that black stuff from getting on the bacon and also cuts down on curling.