Make Popcorn in Bacon Fat
Something primal awakened in me, and my commitment to the bacon-fat lifestyle was renewed. I don’t know, there is finally a refrigerator big enough to hold my vintage pottery or cold rainy weather, but something made me cook everything with ghee. My favorite snack right now is “meat popcorn”, which sounds exactly like it.
My bacon popcorn tear started because it was the only cooking oil I could find since my recent move. Although I threw all my vegetable oil bottles in the drawer, I transported the fat off the bacon by hand to prevent it spilling or spoiling. I have since found my oils but don’t think I will go back to my meatless popcorn habits. Like any good popcorn, bacon-fat popcorn is crispy and crunchy; Unlike other types of popcorn, bacon-fat popcorn has a meaty, salty taste. (Especially when it cools a little – then you really get the taste of bacon.) Duck fat popcorn is also excellent, though not nearly as cost effective. (Financial tip: Never throw grease off bacon .)
I make popcorn the same way I make all my popcorn — with “too much” fat. I use Cameron Diaz’s approved measurement- free approach and let the ghee drip melt until it rises “in the crook of the pan,” then add the popcorn until the liquid fat covers the kernels. I cook it under a lid over medium to high heat, without shaking, until the bursting slows down significantly (when there is a couple of seconds of silence between each pop, everything is ready).
Finally, to highlight the meaty properties of the popcorn, I season with MSG. While you may be overwhelmed by the urge to start eating immediately, wait a couple of minutes – the popcorn crunches best after it cools. If you want meaty cheese popcorn, you can add a shaker or nutritional yeast, or both. I usually add both.