Bacon Dust Kale Chips

Some things just make sense. Bacon and kale are best friends and I’m one of those people who loves kale. When I eat salads I prefer kale because it has a sturdy texture that stands up to hot food. To me there is nothing worse than slimy lettuce because the heat from your burger or chicken has turned your salad into a slimy mess. Kale chips are simply another way to eat one of my favorite vegetables. I don’t think I’ve ever made a batch of kale chips and had any leftover. There aren’t many crunchy foods in the paleo world so kale chips provide that textural element that is often missing. Besides getting a delicious serving of greens I’ve also noticed that any darkness under my eyes disappears if I eat my greens. I’ve also noticed that coffee gives me dark circles but that’s another post for another day.

Bacon and kale are best friends but honestly, what doesn’t go with bacon? The problem is finding a quality source of bacon. Have you ever noticed that chicken and beef are easy to find pasture raised, grass-fed, or organic. What about pork? Pork is much more difficult to find in a pure state. I’m not sure if this is because some cultures see pork as an inferior protein source so there isn’t as much of a demand. Dunno, it’s definitely something to be aware of and keep in mind when you’re trying to make ethical purchasing decisions.

Even if kale chips aren’t your most favorite thing, surely a nice dusting of bacon on your kale chips will make them easier to throw back.

How to Make Bacon Dust

First, you want to make sure that your bacon is crispy and not burnt. I like cooking my bacon in the oven because it allows it to cook evenly. Some place their bacon directly on a baking sheet but I put mine on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.  I feel like the air circulation around the bacon is what allows it to cook evenly; it also comes out flat. The time it takes for your bacon to cook depends on your bacon. I’ve bought some Paleo bacon that is so tissue paper-thin that it’s impossible to pull the strips apart without tearing them into wispy bits of bacon teasers. On the other hand really thick bacon, what I consider “the good stuff”, takes much longer to cook. So, how do I give instructions when bacon varies in thickness, length, and sugar content?

• Preheat your oven to 350
• Lay strips of bacon on a cooling rack over a baking sheet
• Put the bacon on a rack in the middle of the oven
• Check the bacon after 10 minutes
  • If the bacon looks like it’s cooking leave it. Thick bacon will look like the oven has had very little effect on it. If this is the case you can bump the oven up to 375F or 400F.
• If this is your first time making bacon in the oven stay near the kitchen and check it periodically. Your first oven baking experience will give you an indication of how the bacon you regularly purchase cooks.

My typical oven time is 25-30 minutes depending on the bacon. If you’ve bought quality bacon save the bacon drippings in a mason jar in your refrigerator to use as a cooking fat. Also, enjoy your clean stove and counter that didn’t get covered by bacon splatters.

For this recipe I used a chef’s knife to cut my bacon into tiny bits. You can also use a food processor to turn the bacon into a finer dust but I didn’t want the extra dishes and I wanted the bacon to be visible in my photos. If you use a food processor make sure you use fresh, crispy bacon so that you don’t make bacon pate. (Leftover bacon that’s been kept in the refrigerator gets a weird soggy texture.) I used leftover bacon that had been in the refrigerator overnight so I put it into a skillet to warm it up and bring it back to life.

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Bacon Dust Kale Chips

Cook Time

15 mins

 

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 person

Ingredients

• 6 strips of crispy bacon
• 4 cups torn kale leaves gently packed into a measuring cup
• 2 TBSP leftover bacon fat or lard
• 1/4 tsp salt* depends on how salty your bacon is

Instructions

1. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 F

2. Using a knife finely chop the cooked bacon into teeny bits. (See photo) 

   Alternately you could use a food processor to break the bacon apart. I didn't want to clean the food processor, I wanted larger bits of bacon, and chopping it was a touch of an arm workout.

3. Combine the bacon fat, bacon dust, and salt with the kale and toss until well coated. The fat I used was solid so it took more tossing than a liquid fat would but I liked the extra bacon flavor. You could gently heat the bacon fat but be careful that it isn't too warm where it cooks the kale. Also, take your time and keep tossing rather than trying to force it so you don't damage the leaves.

4. Spread the coated kale leaves on the cooling rack. If a leaf is folded try to flatten it out so that all of the chips cook at the same rate.

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the chips are crispy.

Recipe Notes

I'm sure some people will share this quantity of kale chips with a friend but I couldn't stop myself. I ate them all. If you need to make more simply multiply the recipe.

*If your bacon and bacon fat are super salty you likely won't need to add salt. I recommend tasting a kale chip before it goes into the oven and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Originally posted on February 13, 2018 @ 15:29

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