World Food Championships 2015- PART 2: It’s all about the BACON

World Food Championships 2015- PART 2: It’s all about the BACONIt was all about the bacon when Janet Tharpe, host for the Just A Pinch® online community, and her Kitchen Crew picked my Dutch Apple Baby with Blackberry Hoisin Bacon recipe, as a Blue Ribbon winner and my Golden Ticket to represent their company at the 2015 World Food Championships, Bacon Category. Blessed to be a part of the competition, I was honored to represent them.

Creating Bacon recipes for the competition was a three month process luckily, I already had a winning recipe for the Signature Dish Round, all I had to do was prefect the execution. 

SIGNATURE DISH:

“The Signature Dish is the competitor’s choice, although it needs to fit the general “theme” of the competition category to be able to receive maximum points in execution. The Signature Dish is intended to allow the cook to put their best culinary foot forward. Show the judges what you do best. It’s your Signature Dish. ” Source: WFC 2015 Competitor Handbook

Dutch Apple baby with Blackberry Hoisin Bacon

2015-12-02 15:12:49

Serves 6

Dutch Apple Baby meets its best companion with blackberry hoisin bacon, creating the perfect sweet and savory combination. The delicate pancake is married gently to the bacon with just a hint of hoisin and a touch of blackberry to balance out the of flavors…simply delicious.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

40 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

40 min

Ingredients

1. 1.5 lb thick slice Wright Brand Applewood Smoked, divided
2. 1 1/4 cups blackberry jam, divided
3. 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, divided
4. 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
5. 3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
6. 1/2 cup organic apple cider, divided
7. 2 1/2 cups diced apples, skins on
8. 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
9. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
10. 1 teaspoon nutmeg, divided
11. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
12. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
13. 3/4 c flour
14. 1/2 teaspoon salt
15. 1 c milk
16. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
17. 5 large eggs
18. 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, divided
19. 1/4 cup powder sugar for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
2. You will need parchment paper to line baking sheet

For the Hoisin Marinade

1. In a small bowl combine, 2 tablespoon mustard, 1 cup blackberry
2. jam, 1/4 cup hoisin sauce and 2 tablespoon brown sugar, stir to
3. combine

Blackberry Maple and Hoisin Syrup

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon hoisin, 1/2 cup apple cider, 1/4 cup blackberry jam, 1 cup fresh blackberries.
2. Cook over medium heat until thickened
3. Strain through fine sieve. Keep warm until ready to plate.
4. Transfer to little syrup mugs during plating

Method for The Hoisin Bacon

1. In a small bowl combine,
2. 2 tablespoons mustard, 3/4 cup blackberry jam, 1/4 cup hoisin and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix well
3. Place 18 slices bacon on parchment lined paper, brush about 1 tablespoon of mixture over each slice and turn and repeat.
4. Sprinkle brown sugar over all bacon
5. Cook 400 degrees F. for 2o min.
6. Cool bacon, reserve out 5 slices for garnish.
7. Chop remaining bacon into small pieces, reserve 1/2 cup for garnish

Method For the Apple Filling

1. Cut apples into small dice
2. In a medium sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat
3. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ginger
4. Add diced apples and 1 tablespoon apple cider to pan
5. Stir in sugar mixture
6. Cook apples until tender but not soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare cast iron skillet

1. Cut butter into chunks and place in cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet at 400 degree F. oven for 3-4 minutes, while making pancake batter.
2. Method for The Batter
3. Whisk flour, salt, sugar, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl
4. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps
5. When batter is smooth, beat in vanilla and eggs, one by one, Beat pancake batter, 1-2 minutes with whisk. Let batter rest for 5 minutes
6. While batter is resting, prepare cast iron skillets.
7. Place skillets in 400 degree F. oven on parchment lined tray. Heat for 5 minutes
8. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt butter
9. Remove skillets from oven and pour butter evenly into each skillet.
10. Add even amounts of crumbled bacon to skillet bottom
11. Pour batter over bacon, leaving 1/4 inch headspace
12. Add cooked apples to middle of skillets
13. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Remove small skillets, bake larger for 5-7 minutes longer
14. Garnish with strip of bacon and fresh blackberries, powdered sugar and mint leaves.
15. The pancake will puff dramatically while baking but begin to fall within a few minutes after baking.

Garnish

1. powder sugar
2. blackberry hoisin syrup
3. fresh blackberries
4. strips of hoisin bacon

Notes

1. Just A Pinch Blue Ribbon Recipe
2. Winner Top Ten World Food Championships 2015 Category: Bacon

By Rebecka Evans

At Home with Rebecka http://athomewithrebecka.com/

I felt so blessed to be chosen to compete in the 2015 World Food Championships, and then doubly blessed as a fellow competitor Kim Banick, an award winning home cook, owner of The Prize of Cooking, and seasoned World Food Champion, offered to be my sous chef for the opening round. I was moved to tears when I read her message, what an answer to prayer! God knew I needed help competing in such a prestigious event for the very first time. Kim shared her wisdom as a competitive cook as well as, her sweet spirit and gracious attitude. She also, brought with her a team of sous, Mark Banick and Kasey Brown. We cooked together, we prayed together, and we took TOP TEN in the Bacon Category!

The Banick Team spent the following day winning People’s Choice for their Tex-Mex Chili Sundae Split-2015 WFC Chili competition entry. I’m forever grateful for their generosity, hearts for Christ, and shared talent in my kitchen! 

The opportunity to stay with my eldest son, his wife and family while in Orlando, was the icing on the cake. Their support and love gave me strength to carry on each day not to mention, the special morning hugs and kisses from my grand girls.