The other day the guys from BaconToday.com contacted me in search for some barbecue bacon recipes. Of course I have plenty of great uses for bacon in a barbecue pit, but the longer I thought about it, the more I wanted to step it up a notch and clog a few arteries for those guys. Behold, BACON EXPLOSION!!! Here’s what you’ll need…
Bacon Explosion Ingredients
- 2 pounds thick cut bacon
- 2 pounds Italian sausage
- 1 bottle of Burnt Finger BBQ sauce
- 1 shaker of Burnt Finger BBQ rub
To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your bacon weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.
The next step is to add some seasoning on top of your bacon weave. I used our Burnt Finger BBQ Smokey Kansas City seasoning (the label artwork has changed since this photo was taken), but many rubs will work. Here are some of my favorites that are available on Amazon.
The key here is to use a seasoning that is more sweet than salty. The bacon is already bringing a good amount of salt to party, so you want to avoid getting your Bacon Explosion over salted.
Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like. I chose to go with a mild sausage, but spicy would work just the same. If you really want to get crazy, take a stab at making your own homemade sausage.
Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack). If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy. If you like your bacon burnt to hell so the smoke detectors go off, then burn it to hell so the smoke detectors go off. These pieces are going to be a major part of the inner flavor of our sausage fatty, so cook them your favorite way. Personally, I like my bacon right at the point when it starts to get crispy, but hasn’t quite lost all of the softness yet. Regardless of how well done you like yours, you’ll need to crumble or chop the cooked strips into bite size pieces and place on top of the sausage layer. (Note-It’s okay, and encouraged, to snack on these pieces while your chopping/crumbling. But keep in mind that once those bacon morsels touch the raw sausage, you’ll need to resist all temptations to nibble. This can and will be difficult, but hospital trips are no fun, so stay strong.)
Since this is a BBQ recipe, we need to add another layer of BBQ flavor. Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. I use our Burnt Finger BBQ Smokey Kansas City sauce, but any BBQ sauce that you like will work. Here are some of my favorites that are available on Amazon.
Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the Smokey Kansas City Barbecue Seasoning you used on the bacon weave.
Now comes the fun part. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.
At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.
Sprinkle some more Smokey Kansas City Barbecue Seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now this bad boy is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. Mine took about 2.5 hours, which was right on target with its 2.5 inch diameter.
Now that our Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, we need to add some finishing flavors. Remember that Burnt Finger BBQ sauce we used for inner flavor? We’ll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce.
Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage. Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, try placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit. You’ll reach pork Nirvana in no time flat!
this bacon rap thing has got to have like…..20,000
calories in it 🙁 but it looks so good and maybe 1,000
cals. per serving. Am i right
i no im on a diet & want 2 eat it so bad
:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(
More like 400 per serving. It’s not as bad as half the stuff on any fast food menu
I deep fry mine
Of course the danger here is why stop at sausage and bacon. Why not throw in some pepperoni? Or how about a bit of swiss cheese? Or go a little Elvis and instead of pork sausage, use ground beef, then add a layer of spiced peanut butter to the beef before rolling it up. The possibilities are endless!
The bacon explosion looks absolutely wonderful. Sad thing is my wife put me on a diet and now I may never know.
Has anyone tried stringing the BE with butcher string and deep frying like a fried turkey?
I made this over the weekend for Football Sunday. The guys loved it. I agree with previous comment on the sausage overwhelming the bacon flavor. Maybe 1.5 lbs of sausage next time and some nice cheese in with the crumbled bacon. Id say TRY IT if only to discover the beauty of the “bacon weave” for other recipes…maybe pork tenderloin wrapped in the weave. YUMMY!!
I am testing my variation on this recipe, code-named the “Ahmadinejad”. Replacing crisp bacon inside with crisp thin sliced beef and adding smoked cheddar to melt and smother. It makes it the second-least kosher thing on the planet, under Iran’s dope of a leader.
I made one of these, hollowed out the middle. It’s now my new girlfriend. SOOOOOO yummy.
Erin,
If your tongue has healed from the piercing, respond to me with your number. You can be my new girlfriend and we can share the bacon explosion together 😉
-jr
Theres only 1 thing that can make this nearly perfect meal better………CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! And lots of it.
There is far too much complaining about the quantity of sausage used…Come on people! I made one and minced up some garlic and fresh green onions and put it in the sausage roll along with some sharp cheddar! Delicious all the way to the end! Enjoy fellow Bacon-ites!
can not be sold or consumed in minnesota
I just saw a TV programme about the bacon explosion and I had too google it. OMG! This is meat eater’s paradise! 😉
yummy! at first, i thought: “hmmm… bit greasy isn’t it?” but then i realized it’s grilled, so that a lot of fat goes away while cooking… now i realised that, i just hate the fact i’m living in a small appartement without BBQ… :S life’s hard 😀 i’d love to try it!
I think I’m now 3/4 dead guy.
Tried to put hubby where he belongs with this recipe, but didn’t work. and I still love him. Still the end product was FANTISTIC. It has become a twice monthly fix. Thank you
I have made at least 10 of these on the smoker for our football Sunday parties. I use my own rubs and sauce mixes. We like our food spicy so these mixes do add another dimension to the recipe. The key is in the rolling. Have used both hot and mild sausage meat. I remember the first time we had these at our Sunday party, made two and were gone in less than an hour.
I really like how crusty the bacon looks after cooking on the grill. Someday I will make one of these for myself.
Waiting for the defibrillater to come in the mail before I try this. But going to try it nonetheless. Me like piggy. mmm
OMG!!! i am going to have to give birth to one of those monsters very soon i thinks.
What a marvelous piece of meat. Looked like a rubic’s’ cube, but tasty nonetheless. However, the meal was not complete until I topped it off with a piece of chocolate coconut cream cheesecake – with sprinkles of grated lipitor.
You all need to do your homework on animal fat. It does not clog arteries. This is an old ‘wives-tale’ generated in the late 70’s, early 80’s. One that the USDA is not willing to spend money on properly researching and applying to changing their beloved food pyramid.
Eat animal fat. It’s the sugar that calcifies the plaque in your arteries!
Eat bacon and all the red meat you want! Down with the low-fat craze!
This is an amazing treat. You think it will taste really, really good -and it actually tastes even better than you imagine. My buddies and I have nicknamed it “A Synergy of Pork.”
Three slices later I feel like a million bucks!!!!
This looks great! Get me some beer and I’m good to go. Tho, please don’t disgrace this wonderment with stinky cheese!!
i bite my monitor x.x
Cooked one for a bachelor party last month. Had to buy a coal-water smoker. Never owned/operated a smoker before and I overdid the research and overthought all the complications that could arise. Ultimately I went to Home Depot bought the cheapest smoker they had, the Brinkmann smoke and grill free standing R2D2 looking thing. Bought hickory chunks and kingsford coals. You can pour a little marinade into the water tray that sits above the coals for a little extra kick to the explosion. This project had an added difficulty rating because the bachelor party began in the morning, and I had a midnight Moby concert the night before. I actually did not light the smoker until 3AM. So I drank and smoked, tended the coals and water dish, read neomarxist texts, and drank and continued to smoke, from 3 to 6:30 AM. I had to go a little longer because you have to really fight to keep the heat up on a Brinkmann, but it is worth the results… when done right you get the product as pictured or better.
Friend turned me onto this (Ryan). Keeps asking when I’m going to make it. Well today I made it and now I’m not sure if I can share it Too damn good!!
I’m thinking using ground beef mixed with habaneros and a good mexican cheese mix served with sour cream and salsa. I’ve made 4 of the original recipie, and I’d like something new. Don’t get me wrong, the 4 that I’ve made have been devoured with extreme prejudice, but deer camp is coming up, so I’d like to try a second flavor. Any advice?
Wagtube, you’re right on track. Was at TX-OU game and this guy took this but stuffed it with cheese, onions, and jalapenos. After slicing it, he corn tortillas on one rack of the smoker and would put a slice on the tortilla along with a dab of sour cream and salsa. I quit at 5 because I didn’t want to appear a hog! Ridiculous how good it was for breakfast!
It’s on the BBQ! I’m so excited! I’m using Memphis Blue’s BBQ (Vancouver/Kelowna BC) rub and sauce so it’ll be more Canadian but I also used double smoked boar bacon and Spolumbo’s sausage so fingers crossed because it’s like twice as expensive as regular explosion. I’ll let you all know how it is in about two hours!
IT WAS SO AWESOME! use good shit when you make this! it’s worth the time and expense to gather the ingredients! I’m a chick who lives with 4 guys and we had 16 ppl for dinner. everyone who had some said it was awesome. I’m so proud of myself!
Why is there NO CHEESE in this thing? WTF???!!!
For grins… I did a weight watchers add of points to this. The total (varies with what you use somewhat) was 240 points. That is a huge amount of calories. But… say server 20 pieces of it… only 12 points or 40 pieces… 6 points.
I went the extreme and plan to try a version of this using turkey bacon and Boca sasuage. That brings it down to 109 points total. 20 pieces = 5 points!
It would be an interesting taste test to do one of each and perhaps one made with 1 pound of each.
Awesome guys… I will grill/roast it sometime!
WOW- might shove turkey in this and serv it for Thanksgiving
This should be force fed to the Guantanamo detainees………..
Forget turkey stuffing, this is what I’m stuffing inside that bird.
This is AWESOME!
I Cannot wait to try this – However, i have already begun to change this up a bit. This needs heat!
This Needs Peppers. Explosion? oh yes. How about a layer of blanched peeld pablano peppers in between the cooked bacon and the italain sausage layer and then on top of the cooked broken back thin sliced jalapeno’s ( I have dried seasoned habanero dust that I make that I could put on mine.
This BBQ chef has seen the light and your awesome recipie has given me great ideas.
If I wore a hat I’d take it off for you sir!!!
Mike, you might share the recipe for seasoned habanero dust. That sounds like it has my name written on it.
I’m gonna make this for a tailgate party tomorrow. Good thing I work in a cardiac cath lab so I’ll know right where to go for my angioplasty. i think one of the cardiologists is stopping by so i’m all set. Cant wait!!!
Heaven on earth. I could NEVER have a pig as a pet.
As a licensed Food Sanitation Manager, I need to weigh-in on the proper internal temperatures for cooking meat. The FDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145 for all whole cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork, veal, fish) with the exception of poultry. Since most food borne illness is transferred by bacteria on the surface of meat, when the interior reaches 145, the exterior is probably more than 200 degrees, so any bacteria on the surface is killed. This is not true for ground meat, such as sausage. Because the grinding process transfers the exterior to the interior, any bacteria that was on the surface would then be incorporated in the interior, requiring a higher recommended cooking temperature. That’s why people are dying on a regular basis from eating improperly cooked hamburgers. The recommended minimum internal temperature for ground meat is 155. BTW- Trichinosis is extremely rare in 2009 with about a dozen cases reported in the U.S. each year as compared to 80 million cases of food borne illness. Most of these are from farm raised or wild pigs. Reason for that is, in 2009 the life expectancy of your average pig is about 9 months, which is not enough time for the Trichina worm to make its way from the pig’s hoof to the internal flesh. BTW- the Trichina worm is actually killed at 132 or -35. Aside from all that- what a fuckin’ recipe! I’ve had constant wood since viewing it. Better than viagra. Can’t wait to spring this one on my unsuspecting Super Bowl crew.
I have just put one of these together and it is cooking as I type. I made it for my husband to take to deer camp tomorrow. Wish I could be there to see the response when they all dig in. I guess I should have made a miniature one for myself, as the aroma is filling the air as it cooks, and is making my mouth water. I think I may just do that as I bought extra ingredients. Gotta go make it, which my husband will most likely help me eat it.(He won’t be able to wait until camp)
@Rosielu – We’ve had lots of reports of people taking Bacon Explosion on hunting trips. Now we’ll just have to try the venison version once the trips are done!!!
Bacon Artery Explosion. At least you’ll go with a smile on your face.
R u serious? This is the greatest invention since……..f$#@%n ever!!!! I am making some tomorrow. Then maybe a cardiologist appt.