The Secret Recipe for Making That Charred Oak Candied Bacon at Home

While a number of restaurants have remained open for takeout and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, some have chosen to close their doors for the time being. One of those is The Charred Oak Tavern in Middleboro, whose owners made the difficult decision to remain closed this crisis.

And although you have to respect that decision, it doesn’t make it any easier when you’re craving for Charred Oak’s most popular dish, the candied bacon appetizer with homemade butterscotch dipping sauce.

In fact, even the owners are jonesing for some, which is why one of them, Sylvia Menard, decided to try and make it at home – and she is sharing the recipe with everyone.

Now, this isn’t the exact same recipe as what is used at Charred Oak – Menard said the restaurant’s version is “a little more intricate and a tiny bit more involved” – but it will still satisfy your craving in this time of social distancing.

To make it for yourself, all you need is thick-cut bacon and some brown sugar. Menard put all the instructions right in the Facebook post:

Here are the simple steps Sylvia shared:

– Get yourself some thick-cut bacon and brown sugar.
– Pre-cook the bacon for a few minutes.
– Pour the brown sugar into a Ziploc bag.
– After the pre-cooked bacon cools just a bit (so it won’t melt the bag), put it in the plastic bag with the brown sugar. Don’t pat the bacon dry; you want the grease, but be careful of it, it will be hot.
– Shake until all of the bacon is covered in brown sugar.
– Lay the bacon pieces out onto parchment paper and place in the oven at 350 degrees for five minutes on each side.
– Serve it up with some butterscotch dipping sauce.

Now, since you’re probably not going to be driving tonight, those 21 and older can pair it with their favorite whiskey or beer, just like you would do at the tavern.

People are turning to all kinds of homemade recipes now that they’re stuck at home, and this bacon could become the next Dalgona coffee or fresh-baked bread, meaning it’s just as much for your Instagram as it is for your appetite.

And it should satisfy that candied bacon craving for at least a few more weeks.