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 looked like a great dish for my Superbowl party. I was just about to order it when I noticed that the shipping and handling was more than the product itself! I will just make it and save the $20.00. Thanks for the recipe.
This looks so good. I’ll have to make one… it’ll finsh off my mother-in-law once and for all. She’s old school, still dips bread-heals in steak grease…
I’m sure its great and everything . . . but it looks like a giant turd.
I made one at Christmas but added Pepper Jack Cheese under the crumbled bacon inside the roll. OMG!!! 😀
made one of these for my birthday a couple of years back, then made another as part of my “bacon bowl” for a ravens playoff game (let’s not talk about the result)
it accompanied bacon turkey chili, pigs in bacon lined blankets, bacon turtle cheeseburgers as seen here – http://thechive.com/2010/02/15/bacon-cheese-turtleburger-anyone-3-photos/ and with all the bacon that had been cooked i deep fried chicken wings and french fries in the bacon fat
This looks so simple, yet incredibly satisfying. I’ll definitely be making this tomorrow for Superbowl Sunday, but with one small modification- adding cheese. Most likely pepperjack… or sharp cheddah. I don’t know. Regardless, I’m gonna have a hard time sleeping tonight due to the increasing anticipation for porkfest 2011.
BTW- The fun-sucking, tree-hugging, healthnut dumb-dumbs are so annoying. Just like anything that’s unhealthy for you can and should be enjoyed in moderation.
Great detailed instructions.
I know where my next heart attack is coming from! I’m thinkin’ a 1/2 inch slice with a fried egg on a cathead biscuit and a glass of buttermilk to wash it down would put me in front of the pearly gates with a permanent smile on my face.
I ordered 2 for our tailgate for the Steeler-NY Jets AFC Championship game, and they were a huge hit! All you heard were people saying “OMG”. People were putting the slices on a bun and adding cole slaw to the sandwich. I have been told that this now has to be a staple at at least one tailgate a year!
Was für ein tolles Rezept…muß ich machen, sobald die Grillsaison beginnt :-)))
Made it today. Thought, I used fried onions for the inside instead of bacon. It was great 😀
Greets from Germany! 🙂
My buddies and I are gonna try this with Dimples BBQ Sauce this weekend. Go Meat!
This would be killing me but it’s so awesome that every-time I make it now someone eats it all up so I’m safe .. sort of.
I do not know how many versions any one of have tried so far but i have tried so many it’s hard to remember them all. I loved all of them but some work better than others.
I am Posting my fav right now
I know this may seem sacrilegious but the BBQ sauce is not my fav thing in this. so I leave that out.
Johnsonville Hot Italian sausage – break the skins of a a few of these and get the good stuff in one pile. Oh yeah – LOL
I have dehydrated my entire crop of peppers from last year so i use the dried pablanos and mix it in the sausage really well ( This is a trip cause the dehydrated nature of the peppers holds the juices and fat in the meat as it cooks by re-hydrating the peppers with pure heart stopping Yummyness LOL )
you see where I am going with this right?
well I am one to like extremely hot stuff, and I love garlic and onions as well. so I did another little trick. i took some of my dehydrated Habaneros – ( 10 of them ) put them in my food processor and powdered them and added Granulated garlic and used this to dust the sausage and bacon during the build and after.
the results are so amazing you would not believe it. I have made smallish ones – tightly wrapped and cooled and then sliced into rounds for Pizza and ravioli filling and really anything you can imagine.
This stuff is WICKED Nacho topping! no joke.
Make a Fat one – slice one slice – flop it ina frying pan and get it sizzling – drop and egg on it – slap a nice piece a cheese in it when its fried directly to the explosion slice – make you up a English muffin (Whole wheat of course so it’s healthy) BOOM! You have a Breakfast sandwich from HELL.
This site started me off and I have run so far with it I feel a little Bacon explosion crazy now. LOL
Did I mention Sushi Rolls? Oh Yeah bro. seriously – this stuff is versatile. LOL cut the slices into half moon shaped and load them into cut in half long ways and de seeded jalapenos with some sharp cheddar or Cream Cheese – wrap the whole pepper with a strand of Raw… BACON! and then put them on the grill – OMG! It’s Bacon Explosion Diablo. These are the best with some great Beer and better friends. LOL Might wanna use gloves to be handling them however. LOL
P.S. WARNING!!!! NEVER run to the rest room to relieve yourself with-ought scrubbing your hands thoroughly before acting.
Doesn’t matter if your just eating this stuff or making it.
Trust Me on this one, no amount of beer will fix this if you don’t.
Love it,I’ve have to see if I can get that sauce in the UK.Love your site btw,we don’t often get bbq weather over but you’re bookmarked for when we do.
Mr Tradesmen. You can order our sauce internationally. The only thing we can’t ship across the US border is the Bacon Explosion products (FDA thing). Contact us and we can give you some shipping rates.
Love your guys’ site and can’t wait to try to try the Explosion as a surprise for my bacon-loving husband!
I actually own my own bacon specialty-foods company near Seattle, WA. specializing in our unique bacon jerky, chocolate-dipped bacon (“Muddy Pig”), bacon cookies & pastries…even bacon dog treats! I’d love to link our site to yours if possible!
In the meantime please have a look at my company’s website: http://www.baconforever.com.
Thanks!
Do you make your own Italian sausage? If so, when grinding up your pork, why not grind up the bacon also and add this to your sausage meat? That would be soo good! This looks wonderful but it looks like an Italian meat roll, some call it braciol, or brucialuna, instead of sausage. Good job! Can you imagine what the food police would do with this? LOL! Go for it!
@Vicky – Yes, we grind our own sausage. We prefer to leave the bacon out of the grind so that the pieces are bigger, and to help keep them from getting soggy. We like our Explosions with a crispy bacon center, so we hold off on adding the fried bacon until the very last second!
BBQ? Can’t we dip it in batter and deep fry this thing?
Made this two weeks ago (Fantastic) not greasy very moist and surprisingly not salty tasting. Defiantly will make again.
Thanks The Grizz Jackson Wis.
I just found my Easter meal. THANK YOU!!!
… better let the hospital know in advance that I’ll be coming in the next day. Give them time to prepare for the bypass.
Thanks for inspiring me to do a meatloaf version of this creation. It was a HUGE HIT! Here are the pics. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=177955642252744&id=111849622196680&aid=35028
this shit looks like the bomb wanna try