I Bring You . . . Pig Candy from Café Genevieve. Sweet and Spicy Candied Bacon.
Jackson, Wyoming is nestled in the beautiful valley of Jackson Hole. It’s an upmarket paradise for outdoor adventurers and indoor foodies alike.
We arose in the morning to find that an overnight snow had left the town of Jackson powdered with a pearly dusting. We set out in the crisp mountain air in search of breakfast. A short walk from our hotel, just off Jackson’s town square with its antler-arched corners, is a historic former cabin that is now Café Genevieve.
Café Genevieve 135 East Broadway Ave. Jackson, WY 83001 (307) 732-1910
Breezing in from the cold into a welcoming cottage is good for the soul. The cabin’s charming dining room feels like breakfast at Grandma’s (if Grandma was rich and lived in Jackson Hole). The waitress set two steaming mugs of coffee in front of us, and Husband asked about something that had caught his eye on the menu: Pig Candy? The waitress explained that the candied bacon is a house specialty renowned in the valley and highly sought after by visitors.
Well, we obviously had to have some of THAT.
Café Genevieve turned out to be a perfect spot for breakfast – its seasonal menu features upscale southern comfort food with a western twist: biscuits and Cajun gravy, green chile Benedict and their oh-so-creamy breakfast grits. However, the star attraction of Cafe Genevieve is absolutely the Pig Candy.
I’m not normally one for bacon, but since this treat was famous in these parts, I had a bite. Sweet, salty, spicy, smoky, crispy – this Pig Candy hits ALL of the notes. We tried to buy a couple of boxes to take home but, unfortunately for us, they were sold out.
At home, I found myself craving Pig Candy’s chewy, savory, porky perfection. I found a good base recipe in an article from the Casper Star-Tribune.
A previous version of this post listed the link to the recipe but it’s no longer on the website for the Star-Tribune.
I nudged the recipe toward what we’d had at Café Genevieve. Now it is my portal back to Jackson Hole.
Pig Candy
Café Genevieve's Pig Candy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound thick-sliced smoked bacon
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the sugars, mustard, cayenne and pepper in a small bowl.
- Spread the sugar mixture evenly on the parchment in the baking sheet & let it dry out overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 225 degrees.
- Line the bottom of a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
- Finely grind the dried sugar mixture in a blender or food processor and pourinto a shallow bowl or plate.
- Dredge each slice of bacon completely in the sugar mixture and lay it on the rack of the roasting pan. This will allow the drippings to fall onto the foil below, keeping the bacon crisp.
- Bake for 45 to 65 minutes (without turning), until the bacon is brown,bubbly, and crisp.
- Be sure to watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
- Remove bacon slices with a spatula and serve warm or at room temperature.
Pig Candy would be excellent as a garnish for a Bloody Mary, crumbled atop a maple frosted doughnut, on a BLT, over ice cream or Husband’s favorite way: all by itself!
Mmmm . . . consider me transported back to Jackson Hole!
Enjoy!
Another delight discovered on this trip were the Wyoming Cowboy Cookies that were served and sold all over Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. You can find the recipe for the cookies here:
https://thetravelingdelanys.com/wyoming-cowboy-cookies-the-traveling-delanys/
If you’d like to read more about our trip to Wyoming, please click the link below:
https://thetravelingdelanys.com/wyoming-snowed-on-and-sunburned/
Never saw a pound of bacon disappear so fast! Poof! Instant smiles!
I reserved 3 tablespoons of the dredging mix figuring I could add it back if I needed it (which I didn’t). I baked a yam, mashed it on my plate, added butter and sprinkled with the dredging mix. Very pleasant! Sprinkling allows adjustable sweetness and the other spices add interesting notes that combine well with the yam. Try it!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I will definitely try the spice blend on yams – that sounds so good! Thank you for commenting! TTD
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I’m heading to the market tomorrow, I will try this and report back! It sounds delicious!
Yes, you definitely have to let me know what you think! TTD