The Gateway Meat

I recently cured and smoked a pork belly (bought from the West Side market, prepared per Charcuterie’s recipe for maple-cured bacon) for Easter brunch. With nine people eating, though, there was plenty left over. To be honest, figuring out what to do with the bacon wasn’t difficult. Here’s what’s on the menu for the week:

• Asparagus, Bacon and Scallion Frittata (made tonight, really good, supposedly serves six, served about 2 1/2)
• Orecchiete Carbonara with Leeks
• BLTs on Multigrain Seed Bread

It’s not as if we’re having bacon every meal, though. We’ve also got Ravioli with Sage and Pinenuts on the menu as well as Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Jerk Seitan and Coconut Rice. The irony of the bacon dishes is that we’re getting loads of seasonal vegetables in them, e.g. asparagus, leeks, etc.–more than in the non-meat meals.