The ultimate guide to juicy honey-glazed holiday bacon
Among the festive dishes, besides fish and pâtés, roasted bacon often makes an appearance. Ideally, it should be aromatic, juicy, and have delicately crispy skin. Unfortunately, it's often prepared in a hurry, resulting in dry meat rather than juicy slices. To fulfill your holiday culinary dreams, it's worth dedicating a bit more attention to this dish. Perhaps this year, you could serve bacon in a sweet glaze with fragrant spices?
Bacon can appear in many variations during the holidays. Rolls with dried plums or baked with cinnamon and cloves fill the house with a wonderful aroma. Do you prepare bacon traditionally with marjoram? For Christmas, why not get a bit more creative? Add a bay leaf, allspice, and a few cloves to the sweet marinade.
Why does roasted bacon come out dry?
Roasted bacon can turn out dry if not prepared properly. A common mistake is too short a marinating time. The meat needs several hours to fully absorb the spices and honey, which help it retain moisture.
The baking temperature is also essential—if it's too high, the meat can lose its juiciness. Additionally, the lack of fat on the bacon significantly affects its moisture content. On special occasions, you might allow yourself to choose fattier parts.
What honey suits roasted bacon?
Honey with a distinctive flavor usually works best for roasted bacon. Buckwheat or honeydew honey pairs excellently with intense spices, like cinnamon and cloves, as well as with mustard. The strong note of honey adds incredible depth to the roast.
If you prefer milder notes, you might opt for acacia or multifloral honey—it provides a subtle sweetness without overpowering the other ingredients in the bacon marinade.
Does honey lose its properties during baking?
Honey does lose some of its valuable properties at high temperatures, such as enzymes and probiotic bacteria. However, in a culinary context, its primary role is to add sweetness and crispiness to dishes. When baking bacon, honey forms a glaze that enhances the color and taste of the meat, providing the desired appearance and aroma, even with a reduction in its health benefits.
Recipe for honey-glazed bacon from the oven
When choosing bacon for roasting, you might opt for fattier parts. During baking, some of the fat will melt, adding more juiciness to the meat.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of raw bacon,
- 3 tablespoons of dark honey,
- 2 tablespoons of mustard—Dijon or honey mustard works best,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- Half a teaspoon of salt,
- A pinch of black pepper,
- 2 allspice berries,
- 2 bay leaves,
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika,
- 3 cloves.
Instructions:
- Mix honey, mustard, and spices in a bowl. Transfer the bacon to a large ziplock bag, add the marinade, and thoroughly rub it into the meat. Leave it in the fridge for several hours, or overnight if possible.
- Place the marinated bacon in a baking dish in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 60 minutes under aluminum foil, then 30 minutes without the foil. During baking, baste with the rendered fat.
