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!
Tried it today and words can’t express how good it was. Used homemade bbq rub and my own sauce. I think next time I will use a breakfast sausage instead of Italian and also come up with a maple syrup glaze instead of bbq sauce. That way, I think a nice over easy egg or scrambled eggs would be the perfect compliment to this at breakfast at the hunting shack.
I’m Canadian. We love bacon here. I’ll be making this on Canada Day this year (July 1st!) but using Canadian made farmer’s sausage.
Luckily I won’t have to worry about being arrested for killing all my guests, since I too will suffer a heart attack from the bacon goodness.
Bacon! Eh?
Made one this weekend with 1/2 regular ground beef and 1/2 spicy Italian sausage. It turned out terrific, and more universally enjoyed than the straight sausage one I made last year. Also added a cup of shredded cheese to the cooked bacon layer.
It took 3 hours on a weber bullet smoker, at just under 300 degrees.
Thanks bbqaddicts!
Just tweeted this: Making a #BaconExplosion for tonight’s #MiamiHeat game! http://felixj.me/bcnexp #LetsGoHeat !!!
After reading this post, I’m soooo glad I’m not a practicing Jew!
Someone made this at Playa del Fuego (regional BM burn) last year – we could smell it in our camp – sooooo tasty – I didn’t get there in time to have some, though… hoardes of baconburners beat me to it… 🙁 The entire roll lasted less than 10 minutes. I may have to give this one a try for the fall burn…
WHAT>??? NO CHEESE!?!?!?!? WTF man.
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Holy Crap.
That is all….
“…there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD (coronary heart disease) or CVD (cardiovascular disease).”
Based on a meta-analysis of 21 large prospective epidemiologic studies, including Framingham, Honolulu heart Study, and Nurses’ Health Study.)
Reference: Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease, Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, first published on Jan 13, 2010
I like your website, also Knowing your Barbeques Recipe, will help you know the correct and right amount ingredients. Especially since you want to be sure to fully cook meats like chicken and pork on the grill, they have a tendency to dry out.
Thanks I ‘m glad I found this article. I love bacon and this is making me hungry!
Thousand of BBQ Recipes for you to try at home. Just download this on your iPhone and Enjoy some delicious food tonight.
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Just got a bacon boner.
Seen a pic of one and had a slice from a BBQ booth, sure wish I had seen this site, recipe and process before tryen on my own. Still turned out delicious and I agree with others from above that Cheese is a must along with some potato bits and Jalapenos!!!!
I think the Taliban is behind this. Pork Jihad!
saw this recipe before the holiday weekend, so of course I had to give it a try!!! OMG!!! can anything be better??? I don’t think so! brought it to bbq party and it did not last more than 60 seconds…….FANTASTIK!
Can i make the bacon explosion in a conventional oven?
OMG! Talk about awesome. I am sure my husband will be in heaven. This will be an awesome addition to his recipe list and be very much appreciated during the weekend parties.
I’m pretty sure this is what God eats for breakfast.
Okay, I know I’m way late on this, but this is the work of a mastermind and genius. I have to carve out some time this weekend to create one of these. And then add an hour of exercise a day to my regimen… 🙂
So we’re going to try this tomorrow but we’ll be adding cheese and habanero peppers. Can’t go wrong.
+1
I am looking for the different bbq ideas. I want to learn some new recipes. So I am surfing for this. I got good ideas from your site. Thanks for this helpful share.
I’ve made this a dozen times or so for different celebrations. It’s always a hit! I’ve also layed a pork loin open the long way and rolled in the middle of this awesomeness!
This is the Bacon Explosion Place. Why is there spam in here?
Spam from the UK! What the hell is that all about?
I stumbled across this recipe a couple of weeks ago. So I made one of these myself this weekend with only slight variations. It is amazing! Health wise I dont think it’s something you should eat on regular basis! LOL
It was definitely a hit with the family!
That’s the Bacon explosion in the Saarlänisch version. Roasted on the Schwenker and finished in the Zickelschespann. Perfectly done in 60 minutes.
Ok. Someone in the IT Spiceworks Community Forum posted a link to your site with the Bacon Explosion. Payday is on the 15th. I will be ordering one. I want to thank you ahead of time for making this available to the common people. I know in the distant past, it was only allowed to be eaten by Kings.
When I order mine, is there some way I could request that you cook the inner bacon the way you like it, verging on crispy, but not quite?
tty on Monday, August 15th.
@Rosanna – You’re in luck, because that’s how we already prepare our commercial Bacon Explosions!
I just made my first Bacon Explosion today. I live in Denmark and we do not have italian sausage – so I had to make my own. I dont have at smoker – so it was cooked in the oven. To give it smokey flavor, I used honey-hickory BBQ sauce.
Thank you for inventing this amazing thing 😀
I’m on a high protein diet to build more muscles for sports training and have sworn off sweets. This is the perfect “weekend treat”! I mean, who doesn’t love bacon??
My friend and I tried out this recipe after finding it here, and all I have to say is it was Amazing! The sausage is just so juicy when it’s done you gotta try it out.
Btw…My friends a chef, so if he approves. This recipe really rocks.
that looks really good and Bacon of man I love it 😀 I like trying new things with met and this is a great way to. My wife and I cant wait to try this out this weekend.
I looked up “explosion” in google images, and this was at the top of the list. HAHAHAaahahahaa.
Seriously though, this thing will kill you…. but you will die happy. 😀
Oh my word, never in all my life have I seen such an incredible use for bacon! This is a bacon lovers dream. I’d love to buy one but the fun of actually making one of these and buying all the ingredients is just too much to resist. I think I may have to pursuade the wife to abandon the Turkey this year!
awesome