When the heart bacons

A slice of heaven possibly has a whole new meaning for baconheads crispy greasy salty like a summer day at the beach Its no surprise then that the saltcured meat cut which is typically derived from a pigs belly back or sides has a day dedicated to it The United States of America USA observed National Bacon Day yesterday December 30 to celebrate all things bacon the meat dishes including it chips pop corn and milkshakes flavoured with it and of course those who make itRhea Mitra DalalBack in Mumbai too the rasher has its own fans so much so that chef and caterer Rhea Mitra Dalal who runs the popular Facebook group The Porkaholics tells us that at least 50 per cent of the posts on it are about bacon In fact when we reach out to her to learn more about bacon the chef chuckles saying shes cooking with the pork slab The bacon lover tells us that its her goto ingredient when shes confused about what to whip up for the day I grew up in Bandra and luckily we had good pork shops in the area Bacon Goan sausages ham salami and other porky goodies were common in our house Once in a while we would have a lavish breakfast with sausages bacon eggs and the works Wherever I have lived one of the first things I have looked for is the closest pork shop and the best bacon available says the baconhead who started the Facebook page that now has around 10000 members to create a space to discuss culinary experiments with porkWhile bacon with eggs cheese burgers sandwiches pastas risottos and the likes is a common affair Mitra Dalals trials with the meat led to an interesting creation during the lockdown bacon appe I discovered the joys of readymade dosa batter in the lockdown After trying out the basic appe I began to experiment by adding various ingredients to the mix Apart from veggies bacon seemed to be a good idea and it really worked I have made bacon appes frequently since then she addsWhen we ask her about tips for buying bacon the caterer tells us about back bacon and streaky bacon Back bacon usually has a clear demarcation between the fat and meat layers use this for bacon appe Drain off the fat and keep it in the fridge in a glass jar Use the fat to fry eggs for an extra yummy breakfast she elaborates adding Streaky bacon has meat and fat in layers and is great for a classic baconandeggs breakfast or any other meal where youre serving bacon rashers as they crisp up beautifullyRECIPE BACON APPEYIELD 10 to 12 appe pieces depends on appe pan sizeIngredients2 cups dosa batter200 gms meaty bacon rashers1 onion2 chilliesOilSaltInstructionsFry thinlysliced strips of bacon but dont let them get too crispy Keep them in a plate and chop them into small pieces Chop an onion finely along with a green chilli or two In a bowl mix dosa batter with the chopped onions and green chillies Add a little salt and the chopped bacon Mix everything well Heat an appe pan and put in a drop or two of oil into each cavity Once its hot drop in enough batter in each cavity lower the flame to medium cover and let the appes cook When the appes are set flip them to cook the other side and cover Once cooked after a couple of minutes remove and serve