Found something interesting at the Asian market

[Karoht]

It's basically square bacon, about 3 inches x 3 inches. Some kind of thin sliced pork, not sure what cut. The free-sample person was frying it just like bacon, it smelled like bacon but slightly milder.
I'm trying to think of an application beyond a sandwich.

-Bacon wrapped asparagus, more bacon than asparagus though
-Slow-roasted beef of some sort (probably brisket) with the bacon on to help hold moisture
-Chicken breast, it would cover a breast almost perfectly.
-Fish. It's exactly the right size that a common cut of salmon would fit the bacon exactly, and bacon + salmon can be very nice together. Cod and Baja could work, Halibut would benefit from the extra moisture but the bacon would dominate the flavor.
-Scallops. I'm sure I could cut the square into a small strip, which would fit around the scallop easily. But that isn't very original.
-A spoonful of some kind of filler, pull the corners together, fix in place with toothpick, bake.

Suggestions?

[DonutBoy12321]

1. Make cupcakes.
2. Mix maple syrup into vanilla frosting.
3. Frost cupcakes.
4. Fry a ton if this square bacon.
5. Put 1 piece of square bacon on each cupcake.
6. Eat. Your life is now complete. You have achieved enlightenment, nirvana, and all that jazz.

[Howler Dagger]

There is nothing in matters of food that cannot be solved with sufficient application of cheese and/or chocolate.:smallwink:

[Yanagi]

Question: how salty and smokey does it taste, and what's it's coloration?

It could be raw pork belly or Chinese-style bacon (which is the same meat, raw versus smoked and cured). Bacon is a traditional winter food in China.

Bacon is often slivered, stir fried, and then tossed with about twice as much stir-fried vegetables--3-4oz bacon to 8oz vegetables, maybe a garlic clove--are thrown in and also stir fried. Then a bit of sesame oil, or a light sauce of stock and cornstarch. Traditional veggies are flowering chives, cauliflower, and any type of long bean.

There's a great Hunan mixed mushrooms (enoki, wood ear, button, shiitake) and bacon dish. You steam the chunk of bacon (3-4oz) until cooked through, slice it. Then you clean and slice 1lb mushrooms. Then you stir fry the bacon until it goes golden, add a couple of garlic cloves and some sliced ginger, and finally some chili flakes. Then you add the mushrooms and cook 'til tender. Add a splash of stock (4 Tbsp) plus salt and stir as it evaporates. Finally, season with pepper and garnish with thin-sliced scallion greens.

Another Hunan pairing is bacon and smoked tofu, but I don't know any recipes for it.

In an entirely different vein, a lot of folks compare Chinese bacon to pancetta...so try carbonara sauce, linguine with bacon and porcini mushrooms, pasta e fagioli, and so forth.

If it turns out to be pork belly...find a recipe for red-braised pork (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_shao_rou). It's seriously one of the tastiest things I've ever had.

[polity4life]

If all else fails, you could always take the Paula Deen route and stuff it into four sticks of butter then pan fry it.

I'm not saying it's the most optimal option but enough butter can fix most cooking failures.

[Karoht]

It's was not smokey at all and it wasn't very salty either, but still had that bacon flavor, I think it is indeed pork belly.

I like the sound of that mushroom dish, and I'm looking up that Hong shao rou right now.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Rub it with salt, and stick it in the freezer for a few days. Then take it out and use it to make baked beans.

[Yanagi]

It's was not smokey at all and it wasn't very salty either, but still had that bacon flavor, I think it is indeed pork belly.

I like the sound of that mushroom dish, and I'm looking up that Hong shao rou right now.

I know the recipe from Fuschia Dunlop's Hunan cookbook, which is apparently the family recipe variant of Mao Zedong (http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/chairman-maorsquos-red-braised-pork). Basically the only thing Mao and I have an intersecting interest in....

I sometimes make some additions to the Dunlop recipe: Sichuan peppercorns and a single black cardamom along with the star anise and cassia. Water chestnuts, garlic cloves, and mushrooms (I used king trumpets, cut and red-braising seperate from the pork belly) are very satisfying additions, or make a vegetarian version. I also recommend leaving the ginger in during the slow cooking process: by the end, they're much less pungent and can be eaten like a vegetable.

This is another site I like with a recipe forHong Shaou Rou (http://sunflower-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/08/red-braised-pork.html)--though haven't done this version, which marinates the pork first.

[Karoht]

Rub it with salt, and stick it in the freezer for a few days. Then take it out and use it to make baked beans.
...and it's just the right shape to cover a piece of toast.
...and I really like beans on toast.

[Mazeburn]

Simple: bacon napkins. You could even roll it up and put it in a napkin ring.

...Ew. :(

[Traab]

Use it like nori to make bacon sushi!

[Karoht]

Nothing like bacon grease to get the bacon grease off your fingers.

Wait, what?

[Knaight]

If it is what I think it is, boiling it is traditional (in Japan). Basically, you have a party, and have a pot of boiling water, shared. You then have a bunch of food, which you boil in the water, and also share - all of this food must boil quickly. Very thinly stretched meat is among those things, what the others are vary upon the type of dish. A simplistic way to look at it is that there is a root vegetable dish and a leaf vegetable dish, but that isn't quite right.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Slap it on top of a bagel with cream cheese.

[turkishproverb]

...

Uh...

That's an interesting avatar, Rabbit.

[Karoht]

Use it like nori to make bacon sushi!oooooooooooooooooooohhhhh

Tempura sweet potato wrapped in rice and bacon. Or some small thin cuts of sushi grade salmon or smoked salmon. Or if I want to call it some kind of bizarre fusion dish, use salmon lox. Call it New York Street Sushi.

[DeadManSleeping]

Delicious delicious shuriken.

[Riverdance]

BLT. With bacon instead of bread.

[Dr.Epic]

I'm trying to think of an application beyond a sandwich.

Suggestions?

Sundaes!!!:smallbiggrin:

[Karoht]

Sundaes!!!:smallbiggrin:Funny story.

So I had an asian roommate for a while. From Hong Kong specifically. He enjoys traditional chinese foods. Like pig bung for example. He greatly enjoys Balut Eggs, which most people get nausea just thinking about, let alone the smell.

Denny's had a Maple Bacon Sundae on their menu for the while.

So imagine my utter surprise when he tells me it was the most revolting thing he ever ate in his entire life.

People, you need to understand, this is a guy who likes eating chicken feet. He used to buy pigs blood in the convenience stores as a treat. Apparently it comes in cubes like Turkish Delight. I'm very certain this man would eat poop and would comment on the most excellent texture and aroma.

Even he said the Maple Bacon Sundae at Denny's was aweful.

[Tebryn]

It sounds like Samgyeopsal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samgyeopsal)

[Dr.Epic]

Even he said the Maple Bacon Sundae at Denny's was aweful.

Impossible! Bacon=AWESOME!!! Sundaes=AWESOME!!! Thus Bacon+Sundaes=DOUBLE AWESOME!!!!!

[Karoht]

Impossible! Bacon=AWESOME!!! Sundaes=AWESOME!!! Thus Bacon+Sundaes=DOUBLE AWESOME!!!!!

You're a Doctor aren't you? And therefore a man of science yes?
Go to a Denny's and ask them to make you one.
Report back to me with your findings.
If you feel the need to vomit, do that first, then report to me.

[Water_and_Wind]

It must be said: Chicken feet are good (but basically you're eating skin and cartilage) and pork blood is awesome.

Maple bacon sundaes, that's the weirdest food combination I've ever heard at what seems to be a popular restaurant.

[Lycan 01]

Some aspects of this thread killed my appetite. x.x

[Dr.Epic]

You're a Doctor aren't you? And therefore a man of science yes?
Go to a Denny's and ask them to make you one.
Report back to me with your findings.
If you feel the need to vomit, do that first, then report to me.

Well there's your problem. Don't go to a really bad diner and ask for an awesome meal.:smallwink: