18 replies to this topic

[Terrasanct]

I'm looking for some really good, local smokehouse type bacon, preferably applewood smoked. I've tried some local brands but haven't found what I'm looking for. North of Seattle is also good, if there's anything there. Any suggestions?

[Terrasanct]

Even Bremerton or that side of the water would be okay. I got some Niman Ranch applewood bacon from Trader Joe's and it was flimsy and all fat. For the amount I paid for it, I expected something much better. There was a local brand I tried too, I can't remember the name. It was fine, but nothing special. I know there's got to be some good local bacon out here.

[tsquare]

Bavarian Meats, at the Market, usually gets the nod.

[Terrasanct]

Thanks, I'll try it. There seem to be butchers there I've never seen--are some of them downstairs? I think I know where Bavarian meats is, though.

[tsquare]

I think Don and Joe's in the main market and Fero's (behind the Philippine store) by the stair to Matt's are the only meat markets. Bavarian is just North of the #1 Starbucks, inside the the building with the Vietnamese counter and the chocolate/candy/ice cream store.

Oh, and there is a new sausage place by the newstand, as well as Uli's down by Sosio's.

And then there is Wooly Pigs bacon at the U-district Farmer's Market and the Vashon butcher's (Seabreeze) bacon at the Ballard Market (or the store on Vashon.)

Edited by tsquare, 18 February 2009 - 06:40 PM.

[LEdlund]

I've been buying the jowl bacon from Thundering Hooves. It's fantastic and I highly recommend it.

[Terrasanct]

I just looked at their website. Where do you buy it?

[LEdlund]

They make deliveries to the Seattle area a couple of Saturdays a month. You order on the web site by the Monday before they deliver - pick the delivery location closest to you (I go for the one on Phinney Ridge) and then pick it up sometime during the allocated time. It's awesome! I haven't purchased meat at a grocery store since I started doing this.

[RobertCollins]

A & J 's Meats on Queen Anne is great. AS is their Bacon. I think this the best Butcher Shop in Seattle.

Also it is the only one I have found to get 45 day dry aged beef. And yes they have their own smoke house.

edit to add:
http://seattle.citys...ts_seafood.html

Edited by RobertCollins, 20 February 2009 - 12:43 PM.

[LOS]

The bacon from Hans German Deli down in Burien is fabulous. Sausages and hams are pretty good, too. Worth the trip.

[Terrasanct]

We're planning to do our Bacon Tour of Seattle this week sometime. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Regardless of having read that bacon is like, so over, in the other thread, I still love the stuff. I don't eat it every day, but it wouldn't be as good if I did.

[Terrasanct]

Okay, so we went to downtown Seattle on Monday to buy some different kinds of bacon. A & J's was closed since it was Monday, so we didn't go there. I was trying to stay within the Seattle area to make it a bit easier, too. We stopped at the Whole Foods in Westlake and bought some of their Beeler's maple bacon, black forest dry rub bacon, applewood dry rub, and peppered dry rub. The dry rub bacons were all Wellshire Farms. The Beelers is out of Iowa, I think.

At Bavarian meats, the woman couldn't tell us much about the slab bacon, just that "we do it ourselves."

At Don & Joe's, also at Pike Place, we got some Hill brand bacon from Pendleton, thick cut with the rind on.

We picked up a brand of Nueski's bacon at Uwajimaya as well. It's from Wisconsin.

The "we" in this group are my daughter Marketta, a cook at Alligator Soul in Everett; Brendan, who used to man the meat counter at Larry's Market, and myself, someone who just really likes good bacon. I'm from Seattle, but I live in Billings, Montana, where a local butcher makes the best applewood smoked bacon I've ever had. I've been trying to find a bacon here that might measure up.

We tried the bacons plain and in a BLT, the most common bacon application around here. The results were as follows:

We liked the dry rub bacons okay, but they tasted more like a lunchmeat than a straightforward bacon. Not the kind of bacon you'd have for your bacon and eggs breakfast, in our opinions. The textures were also not our favorite. The maple bacon was very fatty and the texture of it was like chewing on fat. Not very pleasant.

The Hills bacon, with the rind on, was thick, chewy, very authentic tasting bacon. The texture was perfect. The rinds can be a bit chewy, but since there was a willing dog in the kitchen, I had no problem getting rid of mine.

The Bavarian meats slab bacon was thick sliced, with the perfect smoke. The smokiness is one of the most important variables as far as I'm concerned.

The Neuski's was also very good but may have been cooked a little too crispy to really compare the nuances of texture with the others.

Also, I probably should have included Hempler's bacon in the test. I had tried some last week and wasn't too impressed, although it was a good bacon. It might have been good to try it head to head with the others.

The top three, for Brendan and I:

Number one was the Bavarian market bacon
Two was the Hills rind on bacon
Three was Neuski's

Marketta liked Hills, then Neuski, then Bavarian. She also liked the dry rub bacons a lot more than I did. Not that there was anything wrong with them, they just weren't the classic stuff.

So those are the results of my testing of seven bacons available in the Seattle area. I'd like to do another round, but I'm going back home next week, so I'm not sure if I'll get a chance. I do want to check out some local butchers in the Everett/Snohomish area.

If any of you get a chance to go to the 4th Avenue Meat Market in Billings, Montana, check out their applewood smoked bacon. It's still number one on my list.

[David Israel]

Culinary Communion, a cooking school in Beacon Hill, has been making their own bacon and, I believe, selling it at select Farmer's Markets around Seattle. You can also purchase their bacon at the school. I bought some of the bacon after taking a charcuterie class recently, and thought it was excellent.

[lala]

Culinary Communion, a cooking school in Beacon Hill, has been making their own bacon and, I believe, selling it at select Farmer's Markets around Seattle.  You can also purchase their bacon at the school.  I bought some of the bacon after taking a charcuterie class recently, and thought it was excellent.

Unfortunately, you can't buy their bacon. Gabe, the owner is not yet licensed to make or sell bacon commercially, although he has done so. The bacon you bought was made illegally.
He is a long way away from making and selling cured meats legally and the health department is dogging his every step to make sure he does it legally:

http://blog.seattlep...ives/161153.asp

[RandyB]

We tried the bacons plain and in a BLT, the most common bacon application around here.  The results were as follows:

We liked the dry rub bacons okay, but they tasted more like a lunchmeat than a straightforward bacon.  Not the kind of bacon you'd have for your bacon and eggs breakfast, in our opinions.  The textures were also not our favorite. The maple bacon was very fatty and the texture of it was like chewing on fat.  Not very pleasant.

The Hills bacon, with the rind on, was thick, chewy, very authentic tasting bacon.  The texture was perfect.  The rinds can be a bit chewy, but since there was a willing dog in the kitchen, I had no problem getting rid of mine.

The Bavarian meats slab bacon was thick sliced, with the perfect smoke.  The smokiness is one of the most important variables as far as I'm concerned.

What about meat vs fat ratio? I love bacon, but prefer it on the leaner side. At Whole Foods, they are pretty accommodating, and also will sell you any number of slices you want, even "just 2, please."

[tsquare]

It's a Tom Douglas event, but maybe best noted on this thread?

BACONOPOLIS! FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH 6-8PM
Join us in the Palace Ballroom for bacon's biggest social event ever- Baconopolis! Who doesn't love bacon? Even some vegetarians indulge in the occasional bacon treat because you just can't beat the smoky deliciousness of bacon! By attending Baconopolis!, you'll get the opportunity to taste 5 bacons from different producers side by side, and sample creative bacon dishes such as braised bacon "pork and beans", classic bacon carbonara, and butterscotch bacon bits. Don't miss this senational bacon event.

Tickets are $20 plus tax and gratuitity and must be purchased in advance. Tickets include one drink ticket for wine or beer, and a cash bar will be available.

To purchase tickets contact Christy at (206)448.2001 or via email at christinal@tomdouglas.com

[Shalmanese]

It's a Tom Douglas event, but maybe best noted on this thread?

BACONOPOLIS! FRIDAY, APRIL 24TH 6-8PM
Join us in the Palace Ballroom for bacon's biggest social event ever- Baconopolis!  Who doesn't love bacon?  Even some vegetarians indulge in the occasional bacon treat because you just can't beat the smoky deliciousness of bacon!  By attending Baconopolis!, you'll get the opportunity to taste 5 bacons from different producers side by side, and sample creative bacon dishes such as braised bacon "pork and beans", classic bacon carbonara, and butterscotch bacon bits.  Don't miss this senational bacon event.

Tickets are $20 plus tax and gratuitity and must be purchased in advance. Tickets include one drink ticket for wine or beer, and a cash bar will be available.

To purchase tickets contact Christy at (206)448.2001 or via email at christinal@tomdouglas.com

w00t, definitely going to this!

[Garth]

Mapelli Bros

[LEdlund]

Are they local? I only see a listing for Mississippi.