With the bacon craze finally starting to lose a little momentum, we thought it was time to remind you of one more way you can put a little piggy goodness into your day. Although the act of cooking popcorn in bacon fat is far older than we are, it isn't a common practice anymore in most homes. This method of cooking gives those light and fluffy kernels a little something extra and we dare you not to eat the entire bowl.
What You Need
Materials
1/2 cup popcorn
3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat
1/2 teaspoon salt
Equipment
Heavy bottom pan or pop corn popper
Large bowl
measuring cup
spoon
Instructions
1. Render Bacon Fat Many of us keep our leftover rendered bacon fat in the fridge for later use and this is a perfect way to use it up. If that's not something you do, you can always render down a few slices of bacon in a heavy bottom pan. Cut the bacon into small pieces and turn heat on low-medium low. Strain and you're ready to go. If you happen to have made bacon for a meal, you can always save the pan drippings for a popcorn snack later on that day.
2. Add Fat To Popper We happen to adore our old school Whirly Pop popcorn popper, but you can also use a heavy pan to get the job done as well. Add 3 tablespoons to the bottom and turn the heat on high.
3. Add Corn To Popper After the bacon fat has had a chance to soften and heat, add kernels and begin stirring or moving your pan so the kernels don't burn.
4. Stir, Stir, Stir! Stir or shake pan until the kernels slow up in their popping or you can stir no longer. There should be 3-4 seconds between pops.
5. Pour Into Bowl When popping slows, dump popcorn into large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Although the bacon fat lends some salt, we've found it's not usually enough and a little extra kosher salt really makes the piggy coated kernels sing!
Related: Popcorn Snack Attack! 8 Awesome Toppings for Popcorn
(Images: Sarah Rae Trover)
10 Picnic-Ready Salads to Eat Outside
Recipe: Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Red-and-Pink-Stripe...
Ellen's Thirties Style Small Space
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
I made some (before covering it with bacon and caramel), but all I could taste different than normally popped popcorn was some smokiness. For real gourmet popcorn, I like drizzling with truffle oil *after* it's popped.
But if anyone's interested in bacon caramel corn, here's the recipe: http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2010/02/bacon-caramel-corn.html
We make popcorn all the time at home (the old fashioned way-oil in pot and shake) but have never thought of using our bacon fat. Genius!
Can improve the cholesterol profile by using some bacon fat and some traditional vegetable oil.
OH MY GOD. What an inspired idea!
Um, wow. That sounds really, really gross.
I've always wondered if this was "okay" to do or if it'd be foul or especially unhealthy (wait, what am I even saying - "unhealthy"?) thanks for assuring me this is a reasonable use of bacon fat. It feel so resourceful!
phoxx - It's 3 tablespoons for an entire huge bowl (which in our house is shared by 2 people when made, so I think you're probably ok.
Hyzen - You don't eat the popcorn and instantly think... man, this stuff tastes like bacon, gross. It's more a subtle smokey richness that doesn't leave behind any prior notions of what the fat used to be part of.
Squirrely - You were right on!
Sounds like a fabulous idea to me. I think I love using bacon fat even more than I love bacon itself.
ewww gross! 3 tablespoons?
i once made caramel corn and threw in some bacon pieces with the caramel, which was delicious. just another option for adding bacon to popcorn.
and now that i actually read the whole article, i see that you already knew that! anyway-- bacon caramel corn FTW!!
I love how after reading the title of this post, I knew exactly who the blogger would be. If I liked popcorn, this would be the one I'd try.
yeah that's definitely not too much fat for that much popcorn. i cannot believe i have never done this! i am so excited! i've been alternating between olive oil and coconut oil depending on my mood, but i'm definitely throwing this into the mix.
I made some last night with fat from my home made bacon!
http://www.urbanhippy.ca/bacon/popcorn
All my life, my grandfather has been making popcorn with bacon grease and honey. It's amazing. Even if it sounds crazy, trust me. It's very good.
He makes his on the stove, but I don't know how to do it.
"With the bacon craze finally starting to lose a little momentum"
Wrong!
Shannon Kay--you've got to tell us more about that. Does he cook it in the fat and then add the honey afterwards? That sounds like a tradition worth passing on!
I made this a couple of months ago. I'd intended to buy a popper like that one, but ended up going with the microwave steam popper I already owned. Surprisingly, it didn't ruin the popper and tasted great.
Still haven't tried this yet, but an idea for an addition: bacon bits on top.
Maybe finely ground bacon salt?
I wanted to do this the other night but my can of bacon grease had gone rancid, so I had to cook some bacon first. I ended up crumbling the bacon and tossing it in with the popcorn after popping, and also sprinkling on a little smoked paprika. Delicious!
What the what! I just made this and popcorn was flying EVERYWHERE! It was CRAZY! How did this not happen to other people? I'll try it again but next time with a splatter screen! OMG!!!!!
Wait, don't tell me you didn't use a top on your popcorn pot!