Tuesday Treats - Bacon Explosion

DISCLAIMER WARNING: This blog entry is Daniel's contribution, and not recommended by all Hardy - Party of Four members due to obvious artery clogging results.

Ingredients
2 pounds thick cut bacon
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 jar of your favorite barbecue rub

To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.

The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave.  Then, layer two pounds of Italian sausage on top of the seasoned bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage all the way to the outer edges of the bacon, creating a patty with the same thickness throughout. Next, fry the remaining slices of bacon to your liking and then crumble or chop into bite-size pieces and layer onto the sausage patty. Then, drizzle your favorite barbecue sauce onto the top of the pig pile. 

Now comes the fun part. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.

To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.

Sprinkle some barbecue seasoning on the outside of the roll, and it's ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your meat thermometer gives an internal temperature reading of 165 degrees. Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. **This is where Daniel wants to deviate from the recipe, and he plans to fry it in his turkey fryer.**

When it's fully cooked, glaze the roll with the barbecue sauce using a basting brush. Slice it into servings and prepare to call 911 to report a heart attack!