How to Make Candied Maple Bacon on a Stick

Pedro Avila, chef of David Burke Prime in Mashantucket, CT, slowly bakes thick-cut bacon, bastes it with syrup, and slides each strip onto a skewer. The bacon achieves a melt-in-your-mouth texture, while developing a smoky, sweet, and spicy kick from the maple-and-black pepper glaze. These slabs of bacon are usually offered as an appetizer—served hanging from a clothesline—at most Craveable Hospitality Group restaurants, but Avila sets this bacon recipe apart by presenting it on a stick with a cherry-bourbon barbecue sauce. Rushing the cooking process at a higher temperature thwarts the deep, luscious caramelization, but the total amount of time should not exceed 1 hour and 30 minutes.David Burke Prime’s Candied Bacon LollipopsSmoked Cherry-Bourbon BBQ Sauce