We just love Jack’s Gourmet’s Facon! It gives us kosher people the ability to add that smoky bacon flavor to our meals. Now, I can’t actually compare it to the real thing, but I know it’s pretty good, works well in BLTs, and adds a great flavor to stews and other meat dishes, like this duck breast and Beef Bourguignone.
What do you call this stringy green beany vegetable? I call them string beans, and I always have. My kid calls them string beans (because of me, I know), and when I puree string beans in my baby food processor, I call them string beans. But those glass jars of baby food you see on store shelves? Green beans. And the original recipe says green beans, too! So, what do YOU call them string beans? Green beans? Something completely different?
So when I saw this recipe for adding bacon to simple veggies, I was intrigued. Facon and healthy green vegetables? Why not!? The recipe is quite simple. I blanched the string beans, I roasted the facon in the oven just to soften it, then I wrapped those string beans up into little presents and glazed them with brown sugar. Okay, not the usual way of serving veggies, but you still get some green into you.
This recipe originally called for real piggy bacon and butter. Definitely not kosher, but don’t worry, we kosher-ified the recipe so you don’t have to. What we have is a delicious and versatile side dish. They’re quick, simple, and they look pretty nice, so you can serve them when you have a fancy dinner party or make them on a weeknight after a hectic day.
Bacon-Wrapped String Beans, adapted from Williams-Sonoma:
Ingredients:
- 1 package Jack’s Gourmet Facon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 pounds string beans
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Directions:
1. Trim and wash your string beans.
2. Prepare giant bowl of ice water on the counter for the ice bath.
3. Place a large pot full of water over high heat until boiling.
4. Blanch your string beans for 2 minutes, until they are bright green.
5. Strain string beans and place in water bath.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the facon in a single layer.
8. Bake the bacon for 5-7 minutes, until it starts to crisp up but is still bendable.
9. Divide the string beans into equal portions, about 6 string beans each.
10. Gather each portion into a neat bunch and wrap a half slice of bacon around the center to hold the beans together. Place the bundles on the same baking sheet you used for the facon with the loose ends of the bacon underneath.
11. When all the string beans are wrapped, drizzle with the olive oil, garlic powder and salt.
12. Sprinkle the brown sugar over evenly.
13. Bake for 25 minutes, and let stand for 5 before serving.
