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My family is into big spreads. Sunday dinner is an extravagant, multi-course affair that my parents pride themselves on hosting weekly. Similarly, they really enjoy going all-out for breakfast, which always features the fluffiest scrambled eggs, freshly baked cinnamon rolls, and my favorite item of all: my dad’s famous bacon.
Sure, many dads have a “special” bacon that’s famous among their closest family and friends. It might even include some variation of maple syrup or cayenne. Well, my dad has been perfecting his perfectly cooked bacon for years.
The recipe is actually pretty simple, which makes it all the better. He adds a healthy sprinkle of Berbere seasoning, specifically Burlap & Barrel’s Berbere Seasoning, and a little bit of brown sugar before baking the strips in the oven on a wire rack.
What’s So Great About My Dad’s 2-Ingredient Bacon Seasoning
If you’ve never had Berbere seasoning, then you’re in for a treat. The spice blend originates in Ethiopia, and is a mix of chile peppers, garlic, onions, holy basil, rue, rosemary, ginger, grains of paradise, thyme, fenugreek, cumin, koseret, cinnamon, ajwain, long pepper, and cloves. It’s PACKED with flavor and has so many different dimensions — warm with a bit of heat, yet fresh from all the herbs, and it still maintains a bit of sweetness.
It’s magic on bacon, and basically everything else it touches (I love using it on chicken thighs!). The seasoning by itself on bacon is fantastic, and with a bit of brown sugar it is smoky, sweet, and cuts through the richness without overwhelming the meaty flavor.
He’s been doing it for the past three years now, and finds an excuse to make it for each holiday that “requires” a big breakfast spread … which is why I’m now counting down the days until Christmas brunch.
How Make My Dad’s 2-Ingredient Bacon Seasoning
It all starts with thick-cut bacon, which he usually gets from a specialty meat store to make it really decadent. For around 24 slices, he’ll mix together about two tablespoons of the Burlap & Barrel’s Berbere Seasoning and one tablespoon of brown sugar. He then generously coats the front and back of each strip before lining them up on a wired baking sheet and cooking at 400°F for 25 minutes. Some of the seasoning will naturally fall off during the baking, but your kitchen will smell like smoky spiced goodness.
The result? Perfectly golden-brown slices of bacon that tastes even better than they look.
Buy: Burlap & Barrel’s Berbere Seasoning, $9.99 for 1.8 ounces at Burlap & Barrel
What do you add to bacon to make it taste delicious? Tell us about it in the comments below.
