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!
THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you for giving us a recipe that justifies using 4lbs of great tasting meat! The recipe was easy and after each step it looked EXACTLY like your pics (will try to submit them).
Taste? Meh – I was anticipating more smoked bacon taste and found it was overpowered with the mild italian sausage, BBQ sauce/rubs, and hickory smoke. Will try it in the oven, sans hickory smoke – personal taste on this one. Would be cool to try with ground chicken or unseasoned pork. That’ll be next week’s heart clogger experiment!
Thanks again for the recipe – lots of fodder for this summer! …oh and to the naysayers: The roll is pretty lean – given that most of the beautifully tasting fat drips away…sigh 🙁
What’s better than a bacon cheeseburger? A Bacon Explosion cheeseburger!
OUT STANDING
Put it on Cheese bread, with baconaise!
Tried it, one suggestion.. it needs Bacon salt.
http://www.baconsalt.com/
me, my cat, and my fish.. love this recipe
YAMEEEE
Hooooly crap. That meat looks stupendous. Granted, my arteries just clogged up thinking about eating it, but the smoker in me wants to take a stab in my bullet smoker
Wow…Just wow.
I’ll win the 3rd annual family bacon bake-off again for sure with this recipe!!
Is there another way to cook this beast of bacon? I don’t have a smoker.
I could never in my wildest fever dreams imagine a sight so overwhelmingly tasty that my mouth began watering so uncontrollably I had to hold my grill mitt against my pie-hole to stanch the flow. MY GOD, y’all are righteously out of your flame-broiled coconuts … and I have GOT to make this TO-DAY.
Made 2 of these a couple weekends ago, first one was literally gone in 60 seconds.. second one lasted all day! made our own sausage mix with about 3/4 pork mince, 1/4 beef, fresh herbs + garlic onion and plenty chili.. baked in the oven for no more than 2 hours, amazing result, next time i’ll be putting a lot more fried bacon in the middle. yahoo!
OMFG… Found this recipe and literally went and made it. My only regret is only making one, it went incredibly fast. I’m also making another one right now. Im not sure if this much bacon in 2 days is very healthy, but damn is it good.
Just a thought… would laying a bed of raw bacon on top of the sausage, then rolling it up work? I was thinking about that today when I smoked a fatty (that sounds SO wrong!) made up of maple flavored Jimmy Dean, the bacon weave, and stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese, onions, and bacon bits. It was my first fatty and DEElicious.
Just wondering if raw bacon in the middle would cook properly in the smoker.
I use Jack Daniels BBQ, and OMG! My Heart died and want to heaven. This is the greatest BBQ I ever had…
Jon,
Not recommended. Raw bacon on the inside will not cook fully. You can fry the bacon to your liking however.
Okay,
This probably won’t go over well, but have made two variations of the “Bacon Explosion”. The first was with chicken(keep reading first). Took chicken strips,marinated over night in a zip lock bag with a variety of spices, choose your own. Next day, weaved the bacon( I used hickory smoked. I don’t own a smoker…yet!) Pounded the chicken down (gave it a good ole chicken “beat down”), laid out the chicken along with green peppers and onions. Then spread on BBQ sauce. Rolled the whole thing up and into the oven at 250 for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until you reach 165 with a temp probe. I was surprised at how good it really was. Did the same thing with a pork loin, but didn’t turn out as well. I have an idea for another version, but that will have to wait for another post.
Thanks for sharing the recipe it wouldn’t be as tempting without the pictures.
Has anyone used turkey bacon and turkey sausage??? My bf asked me to make it…that’s how it’s getting made in our house!!!
Finally, a proper tribute to Swine. I mean as good a the pig has been to us. This is glorious! I applaud you! This is Art!
Hey guys just found your site and this recipe. Been making theses things for years as “The Ultimate Breakfast Roll”.
I use
1.5lb apple smoked bacon
2 lbs Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
I weave the bacon as in yours,but I stretch the bacon alittle to include the entire 1.5 lbs. I use a flexible cutting board for the weave, use seasoned pepper on the top of the bacon, then flip the bacon so the seasoned pepper is now on the outside.
Then put down either wax or parchment paper over the bacon, evenly spread the sausage over the paper to the size of the bacon weave. Season with your favorite spice, I have been using “Prudhomme’s Magic Salt Free Seasoning” lately. Add any other meat you may want. For the world cup I made some “stuffed” with English bacon and Serrano ham. Roll tight using the wax/parchment paper as a sushi mat, transfer the sausage onto the bacon weave and roll again. Place the roll on a roasting rack in a cool oven (very important as the meat cooks very evenly and moister than if you put it in a hot pre-heated oven, we ALWAYS bake our unweaved bacon and start it in a cold oven @ 400 for about 45 minutes) and cook @ 350 for about 1.5hrs to an internal temp of 160.
I use my own recipe of apples, roasted jalapeno, maple syrup and beer finished with butter, reduced as a glaze and applied during the last 30 minutes.
LET YOUR ROLL REST 10 MINS BEFORE YOU SLICE IT!
I have also double matted (top and bottom)bacon and sausage as a large patty cooked on a rack as in the baked bacon above.
Enjoy!!!!
I made one of these when they first published it. It was absolutely delicious. I did make one change. I added pepperjack cheese to the inside layer. YUMMMMMMMY.
If you eat the whole thing in one sitting do you get it for free?
At first, I was repulsed, but my hubby made this on his Big Green Egg to be manly and oh my goodness, this was actually good. If you think about it, it is low carb and a low dose won’t hurt you. Better than meatloaf!
Some guy called my fav. radio show (The Love Doctors South Florida) yesterday & said he was making this for Independence day, so when I came home & told my boyfriend about it we decided to try it out. I’m on my way to the store to get the ingredients I can’t wait to see how it comes out. I’m thinking about adding onions & peppers to it … What do you guys think?
Looks like a reason for a BACON PARTY!!!
This recipe must be handed down straight from heaven!!
this looks amazing! I’ve been know to eat a pound of bacon after morning practice or conditioning… this could really hit the spot!
I brought this to my son’s swim meet (meat?) potluck. People were ogling it but staying away…then one person tried a piece and blesses it as “awesome” – then the whole thing was literally gone within one minute.
Maybe I can get my Dr. to double my prescription for Simvistatin so I can handle this!!!!
Oh my God! This site is a happy heart attack waiting to happen!