The Bacon Diet

I bet the Bacon Diet caught you by surprise! It’s a carnivore’s delight. The secret to this diet is adding a little bacon to every meal. Bacon makes the food taste great. If your food tastes great, you feel great, which in turn gives you the desire and energy to exercise more and enjoy life. If you enjoy life, what else is there? By now you have probably figured out that I’m pulling your leg.  This diet is only in my dreams, but I do enjoy fresh smoked bacon (in moderation of course) and I’ve got the secret of where to find the best bacon in Texas.

Kasper’s Meat Market in Weimar, Texas, about an hour west of Houston along the I-10 highway, is one of my favorite places to go.  While the sound of the name may conjure up the mental image of a certain friendly ghost, make no mistake, this place is not haunted by anything but locally produced meats and great tasting bacon.  I’m not talking about the razor thin see-through stuff they sell in the big city markets or anything that has been pressed from turkey meat parts.  I’m talking about fresh, smoked bacon from local hogs cut to the thickness of your choice.  Personally, I like mine about an eighth of an inch thick.  You can buy it with or without the rind attached. (Hint: If you like to fry bacon with the rind attached, make shallow cuts into the rind about an inch apart and the bacon won’t curl in the pan.)  Other favorites of mine at Kasper’s include country style link sausage and one inch thick cut pork chops.

As you approach the battered wooden screen door of the establishment, located in the old downtown area of Weimar, the aroma of the wood charcoal from the smoker out back fills your nostrils like a breath of fresh air.  With almost 100 years of perfecting their smoking technique, you don’t need a GPS to know you’re in the right location for great bacon.  Walking into the meat market is like walking back in time. As you enter, a little bell rings to signal your arrival.  No need to worry though, there are plenty of folks to help you when you are ready to order.  As you scan the store front, you see the butchers busy behind the counter taking orders, slicing meat or cutting meat on the band saw.  Most look like they have been doing this for a long, long time.  On the walls are a few deer head mounts, a Texas longhorn mount, photos, local announcements and meat prices.  The people waiting in line to be served are just as friendly as the workers behind the counter.  Everyone seems happy to be there. I wonder if it’s that wonderful smoke-filled aroma circulating about the building that has brought a smile to those faces. Nothing fancy here, just good service and good meats.

Keep in mind that on Saturday, Kasper’s is only open ‘til noon.  Bring your ice chest and credit card (they sell ice if you need it) and load up the wagon.  Buying anything less than 4 lbs will mean your next bacon run may be too soon. One person even brought his freezer on a trailer to fill it up.  How cool is that!

P.S. Suzanne repackages the bacon into single servings and freezes it.  She separates the bacon into individual slices placing 4 to 6 slices on a single sheet of plastic wrap and then rolling the bacon slices inside the plastic wrap ensuring that there is plastic between each slice.  She then places the bundles of bacon in a freezer bag and labels with the date.  The frozen bacon will keep for about 6 months.   When needed, take out the bacon, let thaw for a minute or two and break apart the slices.  Put the bacon in a cast iron skillet with just enough water to cover the bacon and cook.  The water ensures that the bacon does not dry out excessively during the frying process.

Hope you enjoy eating your bacon as much as the trip to purchase it. Speaking of bacon, I smell the best tasting bacon in Texas Thru My Back Door! Time for Breakfast!

Join in our fight against breast cancer.  Visit Suzanne's new blog "My Equations for Life" as she reflects on life B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis) and help support new early cancer detection research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with our Go Fund Me project below.