Millionaire’s Bacon

Millionaire’s bacon is guaranteed to change your breakfast game forever — especially if you’re still cooking bacon on the stovetop. A decadently deluxe mashup of sweetness, spice, and smoke, this candied bacon is an oven-baked wonder. Trust me: You’ll feel like a million bucks when you serve slow-roasted, thick-cut bacon encrusted in a spicy brown sugar glaze as part of your next breakfast spread.

Baking sugar-coated bacon until glazed and candied is nothing new, but San Francisco restaurant Sweet Maple took the breakfast staple to a luxe new level. They slice pork belly extra-thick — using the center cut only — and sprinkle it with brown sugar and a medley of spicy peppers.

After it’s slow cooked for hours, the sticky, spicy bacon strips have a jerky-like chew that even crispy bacon lovers will appreciate. In fact, it’s time to replace your mile-high stack of diner-style bacon with a two-slice serving of this big-dollar bacon. Trust me — it’s so much more satisfying.

• Line your sheet pan. If the prospect of scrubbing molten sugar and bacon grease from your sheet pan after a relaxing breakfast is enough to discourage you from candying bacon, we have an easy solution. Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil before adding the bacon slices. When you’re done with breakfast, you can wrap up and toss the foil and quickly run a soapy sponge over the pan for almost effortless cleanup.
• Toss the bacon with the sugar-spice mixture. First, not all thick-cut bacon brands are created equal. Scan the meat case and choose the thickest of the thick-cut bacon you can find. Instead of simply sprinkling the tops, you’ll want to toss the slices with the mixture of brown sugar, pepper, and ground ginger to completely coat and prep the bacon for candying. Line up the sugary strips on the pan, making sure they don’t overlap. You’ll flip the bacon halfway through cooking so both sides caramelize.
• Cool the bacon to set the glaze. Once the bacon is deeply colored with a ruddy hue (but not dark brown or blackened), let the slices cool for a minute on the pan to slightly set the sugar. Then, transfer to a new sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper to further cool until the candy glaze sets completely. Don’t use paper towels because the sweet strips will stick.

Did you know that millionaire’s bacon is the perfect make-ahead breakfast component? Bake the candied bacon ahead of time, then refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for up to one month. The spicy-sweet strips are best served barely warm, so reheat in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds before plating with soft scrambled eggs or crumbling over a salad. Simply said, candied bacon is make-ahead breakfast magic and the only way I’ll ever cook bacon again.