TIME TO THROW DOWN A SPECIAL EDITION OF THROWDOWN THURSDAY WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE FIREFIGHTER THROWDOWN !
WE ARE LIVE FROM FDIC INTERNATIONAL AT THE INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER, WHERE THE BEST THE FIRE SERVICE HAS TO OFFER COME TOGETHER....AND THAT IS WHY F&H CO. , 555 FITNESS AND THE FOLKS AT THE FIREFIGHTER THROWDOWN ARE ALL TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF !
I made this recipe for a filming of Firehouse Kitchen with Pip and Ewa of 555 Fitness. We sprinkled it over some grilled mango and fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt and it was love at first bite. When I decided to take the road trip out here to FDIC with some of the 555 crew, it was deemed necessary to have some of these for the road. And of course I couldn't leave out the rest of the crew that would not be accompanying us on the longest road trip of my life, so I needed to hide some for enjoying in Indiana. Your still probably wondering what the hell it is I am talking about right? Well here it is.........
SPICY DARK CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON
INGREDIENTS:
24 OZ. THICK CUT BACON
1/2 LB. DARK CHOCOLATE
1 1/2 TSP. CHILE POWDER (Adjust according to spice preference)
PROCEDURE:
Preheat oven to 350*
Place bacon on a rack over a sheet pan in a single layer, bake for 20-30 minutes. Do not overcook, the bacon should be pliable and not too crispy. Remove and place the bacon on paper towels to drain and cool.
While the bacon is cooling, set up a double boiler. This is done by place a small pot over medium heat with enough water to come up about a quarter to half of the way up. Place a heat proof bowl over the pot that has water in it. The bowl needs to be bigger than the opening of the pot and the bottom should not touch the water below it. Place the dark chocolate in the bowl, it will melt quicker if they are in smaller pieces. Stir until all the chocolate has melted. Add the chile powder, adjusting the amount to your preference.
Get a sheet pan ready with a silicone mat or parchment paper on it.
Dip the bacon in the chocolate, making sure it is fully covered and place on the sheet pan. When all the bacon is done, place the sheet pan in the fridge to cool. When the chocolate has set, you are ready to chop and sprinkle over frozen yogurt, fruit, cookies or just eat them by themselves!
This is a ridiculously delicious treat that is great as a topping or on it's own as a snack. Because it is so decadent, one piece goes a long way. It starts off sweet and slightly bitter from the dark chocolate, followed by an explosion of salt and smoke from the bacon and then the heat creeps up to remind you that it is here for the party. Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70-85% is packed with minerals and actually has a fairly high fiber content, not to mention a ridiculous amount of antioxidants. To reduce the calories you can easily substitute the bacon with turkey bacon, but nothing compares to a thick-cut pork bacon for this. I also tried something even "The King" would be proud of...
The same bacon topped with a peanut butter-banana sauce. To make the sauce I just whisked together some mashed banana, peanut butter and a splash of almond milk.