Recipe: Pig Mac

This recipe is adapted from Dave Mottershall. His Pig Mac uses pancetta that he cures himself. I substituted bacon (sorry, store-bought). But if your butcher can slice pancetta (basically spicy, unsmoked bacon) thinly for you, it makes a nice twist.

Mac Sauce

4 tbsp (60 mL) ketchup 2 tbsp (30 mL) mustard 4 dill pickles 4 tbsp (60 mL) pickle brine 2 egg yolks 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable/canola/grapeseed oil In a food processor, combine ketchup, mustard, pickles and brine, and puree until smooth. Add egg yolks and slowly drizzle oil while pureeing, until incorporated. Thin with more brine if it’s too thick. Makes about 500 mL and will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Quicker version: Just buzz ketchup, mustard, pickles and brine with store-bought mayonnaise. Will keep in fridge for 2 weeks.

Pig Mac

20 strips bacon Mac sauce (see above) 1 cup (250 mL) shredded iceberg lettuce 4 sesame seed or Kaiser buns 4 slices Cheddar cheese In a large pan on medium heat (or in the oven at 350 F, spread on a baking sheet) fry the bacon until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to a mixing bowl with enough sauce to coat. The pan will have a lot of rendered bacon fat. Pour it into a bowl to cool. Reduce heat to low. Use 1 tbsp (15 mL) bacon fat to toast buns in pan, about 30 seconds on each side. Add lettuce to bowl with bacon and sauce. Stir to combine. To assemble, spread more sauce on inside of each bun. Distribute bacon and lettuce between 4 buns. Top with cheese and serve.

Makes 4 servings Email mintz.corey@gmail.com, follow @coreymintz on Twitter and instagram.com/coreymintz.