How To: Host a Bacon Day
Christina put up a blog entry about the historical/social aspects of Bacon Day at Atalasoft. I’m going to give you a guide for hosting your own Bacon Day.
For Bacon Day you ultimately need three things: good bacon, good people, and a means to cook, but it also takes some basic organization, so here is a guide to help you out.
At least one week in advance, you should do the following:
- Get a headcount – this is very important.
- Get a list of volunteers for side items and avoid replication – don’t overdo it: bacon, eggs and a choice of one or two starchy items is plenty.
- Order bacon, allowing between 4 and 6 ounces (110-170 grams) uncooked bacon per person. Arrange the arrival day for at least one day before the scheduled bacon day. Ordering earlier allows cheaper shipping.
- Note – you don’t need to order bacon, per se. Be aware that there’s bacon and then there’s bacon. Most of what you will find in a typical supermarket is bacon in name only. For Bacon Day at Atalasoft, we have ordered from Burgers’ Smokehouse. To date, they have been very responsive, reliable, and have shipped terrific quality bacon on time. We have been satisfied in every way with their business and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase from them in the future. We typically get a sampler pack of country bacon to let people try different styles of bacon. Pepper bacon was the most popular with maple bacon running a close second. I think everyone preferred thick cut over thin cut.
At least two days in advance, you should do the following:
- Arrange for eggs to be purchased (if that’s part of your menu) – allow two eggs per head.
- Arrange for a griddle, two is ideal
- Remind the side item providers
- Get at least two volunteers to help clean up
On Bacon Day, you will need:
- Bacon
- Eggs/other sides
- Paper towels
- Clean plates
- Clean utensils
- One or more empty mason jars for grease
- Fire extinguisher – just in case.
Tips:
- Start the griddles no later than 8:45, 8:30 is ideal. Good bacon takes time.
- Empty the grease traps frequently.
- Smile, it’s bacon day!
- Take pictures.
- Cooks: wash your hands frequently.
Notes:
We used two griddles set to 300F. We each cooked two packages of bacon (12 ounces), then one cook switched to eggs, cooking them in the bacon grease. While cooking, I recruited people to make labels for the plates so that people would be able to put a name to what they were eating. Be sure to ask people how they like their bacon. I like mine a little chewier – some heathenspeople prefer their bacon extra crunchy. Part of Bacon Day is a celebration of tastes – cater to other people’s tastes when you can.