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!
A friend sent me this link and I just knew I had to give it a try for New Years Eve. Unbelievable, Mine did not turn out as pretty as yours but the taste was amazing. We ate the leftovers w/biscuits New Years morning. Keep these great ideas coming.
My heart 🙁
@Kurt @Dan
We don’t claim to be the inventor of the fatty in any way. If you can provide me with the location of where we made this statement, then we’ll gladly remove it. We too have been making fatties for years and definitely acknowledge that they are commonplace within the BBQ community. In fact, I even called the Bacon Explosion a fatty a few times during the write up. I personally have never seen a bacon stuffed, bacon wrapped fatty though, so I thought it would be a fun way to pay homage to pork. I had a blast making it, documenting the process, and serving it to my family and friends. Isn’t that what BBQ is all about?
@Cavan
Nice suggestion for improving the wrapping technique!!! I’ll definitely be trying that out.
@Shawn Brown
I’m glad to hear that BBQ Addicts helped you ring in the New Year!!! We’d love to see pics of you guys chowing down.
Aaron, você entendeu certo!
Nada que uma salada de folhas verdes para acompanhar não ajude!!
E uma Caipirinha de cachaça para ajudar a queimar o colesterol…
kkkkk!!!!
@R.francesconi
I adore the idea that cachaça burns off bad cholesterol.
It Looks good but looks like it needs more like onions and cheese….
I think I just threw up a little.
Any idea what the daily sodium intake on a 1/4 slice of that bad boy is?
i am a bacon whore…this makes me so happy!
the bacony goodness, not so much the sausage,maybe shredded bbq chicken.
definitely some cheese,with some horror movies , beer and good friends
love it
making it
om nom nom nom
And the best thing of all, it’s KOSHER!
ingenious!
W O W ! This is awesome I didn’t know that such a world existed; I feel like I was raised in a convent or something (protective environment). Thanks for sharring.
Hey everyone!
My name is Bobby and I’m new around here 🙂. So far this is an awesome source for information and I’ve spent a ton of time reading and browsing around. Look forward to hearing from you!
i may quit being a vegitarian for this
I like to eat this with deep fat fried, thick sliced, pure cholesterol that I get in a roll (it sort of looks like polenta). The only thing is, it makes me gassy and the farts are highly explosive!
This is a sure try for our next bbq adventure! Have you tried it with maple sausage? I can’t eat the italian due to some spice allergies. Also any recomendations on rubs that are peppercorn (black pepper, ect.) free?
Sir, you are my hero. I just…I can’t begin to-
Will you e-marry me?
Or at least be my bacon and bbq mentor?
@Janice
I bet Jason can come up with something allergenic free…Jason the fans need help!
i thnk, it is healthy or not?
Love reading comment pages. All the petty bickering and snipeing..; sure does make me grin! Can’t wait to try this thing! kinda scared though. Like the chicken idea. Maybe some pulled pork butt?
@Sid – I accept your bacon wrapped ring and tip a glass of 18 year single malt in your honor!!!
@Janice – If you’re a fan of sweets, which it sounds like you might be, you should try using brown sugar and cayenne pepper (or red pepper flake) on the outside. It will melt down and form a nice crust around the Bacon Explosion. You can adjust the heat levels by the amount of pepper you add. Also, I have an uncle who is allergic to black pepper, but is able to eat white pepper without any problems. If that is the case with you, then you can make this simple substitution in just about any rub recipe.
Good thing I’m a member of Club Lipitor, because I can see devouring that bacon-wrapped sausage-bacon goodness.
The rest of you might also want to join the Club…
Heart Attack wrapped in AWESOMENESS. I am in awe, I am in love, I am in the presence of a great mind!
To you I bow down 😉
Oh, and the weave was pretty too 🙂
@Jason
Thanks I’ll try it like that. Yes, I’m a fan of the sweets! And camelized onions in the bacon fat, my addition to the bacon explosion. Unfortunately all peppercorns are out of the picture for me.
Motto: Eat what you can and can (or freeze) what you can’t. Author unknown
If anyone’s still having problems rolling the sausage, keep the width and try making a longer thiner piece to roll up. I recomend using wax paper underneath.
Boom! That’s an Bacon Explosion.
I don’t dare to make it on my BBQ next weekend. I’m bot a specialist.
This sucker is definitely on my to-do list! Thanks guys.
I usually roll fatties in brown sugar to add additional sweetness. May be something to try with this behemoth. Maybe put a stick of butter in the middle just to be sure I die instantly upon intake.
This would go well with some chocolate dipped bacon.
Holy Heart Attack!
This would be acceptable on Atkins, right?
@Tea
Aside from the sauce and rub, this bad boy is purely pork parts. I’d say it’s an Atkins dream!!!
does Emeril know about this pork fat fest????
just call this thing ‘the crusader’ … and send it to Palestine. 🙂
“CLEAR!”
kachunk
“Increasing to 300”
“CLEAR!”
kachunk
genius
This just looks like a heart attack waiting to happen….
bacon porn, FTW! now excuse me while i go light up a smoke…