November Bacon Review

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final installment of our monthly bacon reviews. Join me in thanking Mr. Curtington for his service to the community.

Edwards Hickory Smoked Country Bacon
S. Wallace Edwards & Sons of Surry, Virginia

Preparation:
Oven-fried at 400° F until it looked done, about nine minutes

Edwards Hickory Smoked Country Bacon comes from the ham capitol of the Universe so as you might expect, it is a classic American foodstuff that excels at maintaining a meat curing tradition that goes back 80 years. This medium sliced bacon doesn't mess around with it's own tradition of crafting a dry-cured bacon that is well above average, but not show-offy, thank you.

For some with more refined, even conservative, tastes, this meaty and easy-to-cook bacon could easily exceed their expectations. Its smoke is ample and forward, the plentiful lean has just the right salt to its bite and the fat is almost candied in the subtlety of its sweet. The meat has a clean, assertive and completely confident character that distinguishes itself by its humble excellence.

After a year of monthly samplings of some of the most ambitiously crafted bacons being created by American artisans, I fear my palate has become a bit jaded and overly vigilant for the next thrill. I found Edwards to be on the high side of adequate when I first tasted it - by itself - in a slow pondering chew. The nicely varied mouth feel was what most stood out, but the flavor was just... bacony.

But after a day's consideration and in a bacon and egg breakfast following a night of light eating and whiskey sampling, the true nature of Edwards became more pronounced; it is a very perfected example of a familiar sort of American bacon in which all the elements - the meat itself, the tempered smoking, the sugar & salt cure, the slice - are top shelf, the result of a tradition worth understanding and continuing.

Though at the moment I prefer a brasher rasher, I must acknowledge this superior example of traditional American baconry. I give Edwards Hickory Smoked Country Bacon 8 out of a possible 10 pigs and thank J-Walk and JWB readers for this year of living (and writing) piggishly.

His Royal Highness, Curtis Curtington
The Eternal Emperor of the Bacon Universe