Day 1: Let's Begin with Bacon

What better way to start my "Month of Pork" than a bacon sandwich.  But this wasn't a normal bacon sandwich; no friend, this was a bacon triple threat: regular smoked, double smoked, and something so fatty and delicious that you can't even call it bacon...the Russians call it "salo", I call it a salt encrusted gift for my tastebuds.

Put it all together with avocado, a touch of mayonnaise and some lavender laced sharp cheese and you're properly fueled for the morning.

Triple threat...of bacon!

Looks like cheese, tastes like salty goodness

The triumvirate of pork

The bacon theme continued at lunch.  Much to the surprise of colleagues, I passed on the pizza offered at our working lunch and brought some braised pork belly with taro and white rice.

Initially pleased with the pizza, the looks on my co-workers faces (dare I call it a yearning for pork) made it clear that the mere presence of pork belly had rendered their pizza less enticing.

Pork belly

The dinner hour arrived and I remained committed to bacon, but this time as the finishing and flavouring touch to my canvas of tenderloin.  The tenderloin was first encrusted with sage and thyme, then seared.  Next I coated it with wasabi paste, and wrapped it in thick cut hickory smoked bacon before finishing it in the oven.

Sage and thyme

Wasabi paste

Bacon wrap



A single slice of bacon: the definition of "snack sized"



Bacon with seaweed...proof that it makes everything taste better

Shrinkage proves I should have used more bacon!



The finished product.  For the record, the salad was delicious too.

It may look complicated, but it took 15 minutes to prep, and 25 minutes to cook in the oven.  Anyone who says that they don't have time to cook isn't trying hard enough.

Day 1: a delicious success.  I'll try my best to switch things up, but not every day will be like this; I see leftovers in my future.