Candied Bacon with Red Pepper

For our spicy candied bacon recipe, we wanted completely rendered, crispy strips of spicy-sweet bacon. Using light brown sugar (not liquid syrups or other solid sugars such as granulated or confectioners') led to that satisfying crunch. Calling for center-cut bacon rather than thick-cut (which didn't cook through before the sugar burned) or regular-cut (which had uneven ends that made equal coverage difficult) was necessary for uniformly crispy results. The method was as easy as sprinkling sugar over bacon (and bringing a kick of heat with black pepper, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper) and baking it on a foil-lined baking sheet for about 20 minutes. These spicy-sweet bites are a perfect complement to our Berbere-Spiced Bloody Marys or just a treat on their own.

6 slices center-cut bacon
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Cut bacon in half crosswise. Arrange bacon on prepared sheets.

Combine sugar, pepper, pepper flakes, and cayenne in bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over bacon (do not flip and sprinkle on second side). Use your fingers to spread sugar mixture evenly over each piece.

Bake until bacon is dark brown and sugar is bubbling, 20-25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer bacon to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• Do not use dark brown sugar here.
• We call for center-cut bacon because we found the strips to be of more even thickness than regular bacon.
• Lining the sheet with aluminum foil eases cleanup.