Dish Thu Feb 16 2012

A Thing You Should Eat: Bacon Fat Popcorn

By Alexandra Moskovich

Have you ever actually watched someone eat popcorn? Watch a rational human being become a ravenous animal. It's home and you're comfortable, watching a movie while thoughtlessly stuffing your face, kernel after kernel. What about when you're at the theater? You paid your first month's rent for that movie-goers snack combo #4 and, damn it, you're going to make sure to get your money's worth.
Popcorn can be pretty intoxicating. Once popped, heads perk up like little meerkats in the Kalahari. 
"Is someone popping popcorn... anywhere?"
Well, let me tell you, there are ways to make it better still.

Remember how fat makes everything delicious? Remember how everyone (except vegetarians and vegans and folks keeping halal and kosher, and...) loves bacon? Remember how anything cooked in bacon fat is at least 50 percent tastier than before? Well, Revolution Brewery figured it out and jumped on the bacon bandwagon, except they go the extra mile,
not only cooking their popcorn in bacon fat, but adding pieces of delicious, crispy bacon on top, with a veritable snow fall of Parmesan cheese and fried sage leaves. It works. So well.

Pop over (har!) to Revolution Brewery, at 2323 N. Milwaukee, between the hours of 11am and 2am (open 10am on weekends for brunch) to try it yourself -- or do it yourself, dummies. The Kitchn rocks a pretty great recipe for bacon fat popcorn.

What you need:
1/2 cup popcorn
3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you like)
1 heavy bottom pan
1 large bowl
1 measuring cup
1 spoon

What you do:
First, if you don't already have rendered bacon fat, render it. Take a few slices of bacon, cut them up into small pieces and stick them in that heavy bottom pan of yours, then turn heat on low/medium. Wait 'till all those delicious juices start to appear, strain, and you're square. 

Now, put that strained fat back into that pan and turn the heat up, high.

After the fat has had a chance to heat up, add kernels and keep 'em moving so they don't burn. Stir and shake those kernels until you possibly couldn't anymore -- Listen for 3 or 4 seconds between pops. 

And, that's it. Super easy! Pour the kernels into your large bowl, finish with whatever fixins you may desire (the salt, some pepper, more bacon, etc.) -- oh, and eat!

"Puffy porcine popcorn pretty pleasing" - Justin Schafer, Popcorn Expert