Hatch Green Chile Bacon

The image is here, Hatch Green Chile Bacon.

The image is housed on the ubiquitous side project, and it’s simply a package of bacon — Hatch Green Chile Bacon. That, in and of itself, no big deal, right?

This is special bacon. It starts, maybe 20 years ago, in Austin, along Barton Springs Road, before it was “restaurant row,” with only Chuy’s there. In September, they would bring in Hatch Chillies, setting a roaster up out front. The gentle South Austin zephyrs would carry the wafting aroma far and wide — think trailer park — spreading the aroma of gently roasting green peppers.

I’ve stopped in Hatch, NM a number of times, now. I’m partial to the green chillies, and thankfully, they had rain some last summer.

Passing through the local grocery store, I bought a package of the “Hatch Green Chile” bacon, more as a spurious and spontaneous buy rather than any kind of serious culinary exploration. However, fried up?

That is exceptional bacon. Not good, but possibly the best bacon I’ve ever had. Maybe not the best, but up there with cutting up pig belly myself, and the stuff served at Mi Tierra for breakfast.

I thought about getting some of the bacon, one package, maybe, and bringing it out to Sister, the professed vegan. I did pick up an extra package, but as I thought about it? Why waste good bacon like that.