A complete Bacon Explosion dish |
|
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | US |
| Region or state | Kansas City |
| Creator(s) | Aaron Chronister and Jason Day |
| Dish details | |
| Course served | Main |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredient(s) | Sausage, bacon |
| Approximate calories per serving | At least 5,000 calories and 500 grams of fat per roll.[1] The calories per serving depend on how thickly one slices the roll, which is typically 20-30 cm long. |
A Bacon Explosion is a pork dish that consists of bacon wrapped around a filling of spiced sausage and crumbled bacon. The American-football-sized dish is smoked or baked.
It caused an Internet sensation after being posted on the BBQ Addicts blog,[1][2] and quickly spread to the mainstream press with numerous stories discussing the porcine feast.[1] In time, the articles began to discuss the Internet "buzz" itself.[1]
The phenomenon is international, with popularity in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Daily Telegraph noted that the "recipe is most popular on the web" and that the "5,000 calorie barbeque dish has become one of the most popular meal ideas in the world."[2]
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Jason Day and Aaron Chronister posted the dish in December 2008 on their "BBQ Addicts" blog.[3] It quickly became an Internet phenomenon, generating more than 500,000 hits and 16,000 links to the blog, and was even included on political blogs because "Republicans like meat."[1][2][4] There are fan clubs and follow-up videos of various attempts to create the dish.[2]
The inventors are experienced barbecue competition participants from Kansas City, and compete in cook-offs as the Burnt Finger BBQ team.[2] According to the Telegraph, "They came up with the delicacy after being challenged on Twitter to create the ultimate bacon recipe."[2] They christened their innovation the "Bacon Explosion: The BBQ Sausage Recipe of all Recipes."[2]
The Bacon Explosion is similar to a number of previously published recipes, and Day and Chronister do not claim to have invented the concept.[1] Earlier in December 2008, Headless Blogger posted a recipe for the "Ultimate Fattie", which is made of sausage, chili pepper, pepperoni, and muenster cheese rolled into a bacon lattice.[5] This concoction was inspired by a bacon and cheese roll (again, lattice-based) posted by a user on the Foodroll blog.[5][6]
The huge popularity of the recipe has led to international coverage;[2] besides the US and the UK, German and Dutch media are paying attention to the rage.[7][8] Some controversy has arisen about the high calorie, high fat dish. Commentary in major publications about the health/obesity of Americans quickly suggested dishes like bacon explosion as the reason for "Why Americans are fat"; another paper noted that it isn't something a doctor would recommend.[9][10] It has also been cited as an example of the use of Web 2.0 technology (Chronister is an Internet marketer).[11]
Preparing a bacon explosion "requires the minimum of culinary talent" and the ingredient list is short.[2] It is made from 2 pounds (910 g) of thick cut bacon, 2 pounds (910 g) of Italian sausage, one jar of barbecue sauce, and one jar of barbecue rub/seasoning.[2]
It is constructed by weaving the bacon together to serve as a base which is then seasoned, followed by the layering of sausage meat on top, with crumbled bacon sprinkled on top of the mass. Barbecue sauce is added, more barbecue seasoning is added, and it is rolled into a giant "sausage-shaped monster."[2] It takes about an hour per inch of thickness to cook and is then basted with more barbecue sauce, sliced into rounds, and served.[2]
A prepared bacon explosion contains at least 5,000 calories (21,000 kJ) and 500 grams of fat,[1] though a "healthy" 8 ounce portion "only" contains 878 calories and 60 grams of fat.[12]
Popular recreations of this dish are numerous given the quick rise to popularity. Some renditions such as the Bacon Explosion Revisited add velveeta cheese and three other meats to the dish. Others have added jalapenos and eggs to the original construction.