How to Make Candied Maple Bacon on a Stick

Pedro Avila, head chef at David Burke Prime Restaurant in Mashantucket, Connecticut, slowly bakes thick slices of bacon, drizzles it with syrup, and skewers each strip. The texture of the bacon melts in your mouth, and thanks to the maple and black pepper glaze, it takes on a smoky, sweet and spicy hue. These bacon slices are usually served as an appetizer-they're hung on a clothesline-at most of the popular Hospitality Group restaurants, but Avila distinguishes this bacon recipe by serving it on a stick with cherry-Bourbon barbecue sauce. The faster cooking process at a higher temperature prevents deep and juicy caramelization, but the total cooking time should not exceed 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Combine all the ingredients except the bacon in the pot. Cook over low heat until reduced by 20 percent.Preheat the oven to 300 ° F and place a baking tray with a drain rack on top.Cut the bacon by hand into pieces about ⅝ - inch thick.Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a wire rack, leaving a 1/2-inch gap between the slices.Cook the bacon for 8 minutes.Remove from the oven and drain all the melted fat. Brush the bacon with icing evenly. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.Remove from the oven, turn each slice over and brush with icing again. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Repeat this process 4 times, every 10 minutes.Reduce the heat to 250 ° F and repeat the glazing process two more times. The bacon should be freshly cooked. Not dark in color and not crunchy, but beautifully glazed. Allow to cool at room temperature.In a large skillet, melt the butter until bubbles form. Add the chopped sweet onion and cook until tender. Add the garlic until it is soft and the butter begins to brown. Add canned tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard powder, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce. Mix all the ingredients together.Bring to a full boil. Add the brown sugar and mix thoroughly. Add the cherries and let the sauce cook for 10 minutes, or until the cherries are completely softened in the sauce.Using an immersion blender, whisk the sauce for 3 to 5 seconds. Add another handful of cherries to the sauce. Additional non-crushed cherries will allow you to prepare a thick barbecue sauce.Continue cooking at a high simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until thickened.