Bacon Jerky

Yes, I know, the first rule of making jerky is to choose a lean cut of meat.  Bacon definitely does not match the type of meat that would be appropriate for jerky, so feel free to call this something other than jerky. Think of it as less of a chewy jerky and more like a really crispy piece of bacon that holds together when you bite into it.  I'll admit I was very skeptical at first but how can you go wrong with bacon??

Note:  I chose a regular cut of bacon which allowed me to complete the entire process in about 6 hrs.  If you choose a thick-cut bacon you will need to cook it for a longer period of time.   I used a small amount of Memphis Dust Rub on the bacon but you could also just use brown sugar if you don't have any rub on hand.  You can also apply the rub/sugar at the beginning if you wish.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 package bacon
2 Tbsps. of Memphis Dust Rub or brown sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 225°F.  Cut bacon strips in half and place in a single layer on a rack set into a sheet pan.  Place bacon in oven and cook for approximately 2 ½-3 hours, turning bacon half way through the cooking process and blotting as needed to remove grease.  Remove bacon from oven and drain off all fat.

Preheat smoker to 165°F (you can use a dehydrator for this step or continue to cook in the oven). Sprinkle a small amount of the rub or brown sugar on each side of the bacon and place bacon into the smoker.  Cook for another 3 hours.  The bacon should be nice and crispy