Tailgate Thursday - 25th Anniversary Special Edition

We're back in the saddle again for another edition of Penn State Nittany Lion Football, the 125th if your keeping score at home.  While many of you are familiar with Tailgate Thursday from last season, what is a relative unknown is that this is indeed the 25th Anniversary of Tailgate Thursday.  Yes, this venerable institution has been around for a quarter century.  The technology has changed, The forward pass was brought in to the offense in 1991, the shotgun formation quickly thereafter in 2001.  And of course the internet.  But the intent remains the same, the preparation of fantastic food to dump generous amounts on liquor on.

And now, the very first edition, of Tailgate Thursday....

That's right.  Typewritten and fuckin' (sorry Mike, yea new BSD!) Xeroxed.  And just in time for the East Carolina game.

There was a menu (obviously) but you get the point.

Twenty five years later, a new home brings a new muse.  Bacon.  That's right, dare jessedotsmom to make bacon. I'll wait......

Crispy Cinnamon & Clove-Kissed Candied Bacon.  Hit it.

The software;

1 1/2  pounds thick-sliced bacon, at room temperature

1 1/2  cups lightly-packed light brown sugar

3/4  cup granulated white sugar

1  tablespoon ground cinnamon

1  tablespoon ground cloves

Step 1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2.  In a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish stir together the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and cloves. I like to use my fingertips to do this (instead of a fork or a spoon) because you can easily rub out any lumps or clumps in the brown sugar.

[ED - Here is step three, additional sugar coating of the bacon.]

Step 3.  Place three or four strips of bacon in the baking dish. Using your fingertips, dredge the first side in the sugar/spice mixture, then flip the slices over and dredge them on their second sides.

Step 4.  Transfer the sugar-coated bacon to the disposable aluminum pans.  Continue this process until all of the slices have been coated and transferred.  Eight slices of bacon will fit, nicely, side-by-side on each pan.

Step 5.  Evenly sprinkle about 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of additional sugar mixture over the tops of bacon in each pan, meaning:  1/4 cup per pan.

[ED - I mean seriously, add the sugar mixture to the bacon... why not?  Some other joker is drinking Grain Alcohol at the Nebraska game.  Do you want him to beat you to St. Peter?  I didn't think so.]

Step 6.  Bake on center rack of preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until desired degree of doneness is reached.

Note:  For extra crispness, after 20 minutes of roasting remove the pans from the oven, tilt them gently and allow the hot liquids to drain out into a bowl.  Discard liquids after they cool.  Return bacon to oven and finish roasting.

Eat in with your French toast for breakfast, slice it into a salad for lunch or atop a juicy hamburger for dinner.  It's pictured here in ~ My Roasted Beet, Candied Bacon, Shaved Onion & Creamy-Dreamy Horseradish-Dressed Steak Salad s always, more tips, tricks, pictures and stories at Kitchen Encounters.  Mel loves it when you guys say hello.