Author Notes
This is the first recipe I made using the bacon I cured myself as part of Charcutepalooza. Bacon is one of my top 5 favorite foods of all time, and I am happy to say salt curing pork belly myself was not only a deeply satisfying experience, it resulted in the second-best bacon I've ever tasted.
I could live off of this dish, in one form or another, almost exclusively. This, along with the occasional pasta veggie dish, yeast rolls or pasta from work or microwave pop corn is pretty much what I lived off of on my days off from work in college. Breakfast for dinner is also what I happen to use as my bacon yardstick, so it happily works out just fine. —Gastography
Ingredients
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4-6
Eggs
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4
Yukon Gold potatoes (3-4 c. when cubed)
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3
Leeks, white and light green parts only
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1/2 pound
fresh bacon, sliced in 1/4 inch thick slabs and then cut again width-wise into 1/4 inch by 1 inch batons
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1 tablespoon
Unsalted butter
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Olive oil
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Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
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In a large skillet over medium-medium high heat, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil, add the bacon and fry the until the fat has rendered out and your desired crispness level has been achieved. For me, that’s on the burnt side. Hell, I’ve even eaten bacon that has been on fire, who am I kidding? Most people would cook this a little less.
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While your bacon is cooking, chop your potatoes–you’re looking for a size somewhere between a store-bought frozen “country-style hash brown” and “country potatoes” in a restaurant–1/2 to 3/4-inch rough cubes.
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After your bacon has crisped, remove to paper towels to drain. Depending on how much fat has rendered out of your bacon, you may need to add some fat to the pan. Add or subtract until you have roughly 3 Tbsp. of fat left in the pan.
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Add the potatoes to the skillet and add salt & pepper to taste. Sautee 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid sticking as much as possible.
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While your potatoes are cooking, slice the leeks in 1/4-inch rings. Rinse either under running water or in a water bath, separating rings, until all grit is removed. Drain and add to pan with the potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until leeks are soft and potatoes are crispy in spots on the outside and done in the middle, about 8 minutes more. If your potatoes are sticking too much and look dry, add a little olive oil to loosen things up again. I usually start off with a wooden spoon to stir and then switch to a heavy spatula, as my pan loves to cling to potatoes. That’s ok. Just stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pan as you go. You’ll get tasty little curls of crispy potato crust. Taste for seasoning and add if needed.
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Remove to your serving vessel of choice and top with the bacon.
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Turn the heat on your pan down to medium/medium-low and add 1 Tbsp. butter. Crack the eggs in the pan, salt & pepper to taste and cook to your desired doneness.
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Add cooked eggs to the hash browns & bacon and serve. Revel in the bacony, eggy goodness.
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