Macon Magazine

J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M | 8 3 Piedmont takes a large pork belly and cures it for five to six days before slow smoking it at 225 degrees for 10-12 hours, according to Whitley. "We then slice it thick – at this point, it truly looks like bacon – and pile it high on all types of sandwiches," he said. "So, while this is not necessarily bacon, it is 100 percent bacon in disguise. And it also fits with our game plan at Piedmont, which is offering unique twists on classic pub foods." A few blocks down on Cherry Street, bacon assumes a starring role in many of e Rookery's featured menu items, particularly the burgers and sandwiches for which the popular restaurant is known. "We cook about 50 pounds of bacon every day," said Matthew Newton, general manager of e Rookery. "We double it, crumble it, crisp it and stack it," he said. One of the favorites there is Betsy's Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich. "Betsy Griffith, who owns e Rookery with her husband, Wes Griffith, has put her signature pimento cheese on our menu," Newton said. "We're a little biased, but her pimento cheese is the best in town and is only made better with the addition of applewood- smoked bacon." Both the Jimmy Carter Burger and the Jimmy Carter Shake feature bacon. "Our 39th president was a peanut farmer from Georgia, and the inspiration for this combo," Newton said. "We wanted something CANDIED PEPPER BACON This is so easy – and delicious! Bacon Fruit pepper jelly, such as Wisham's Blueberry or Blackberry Jalapeno Jelly Place bacon in a bowl with fruit pepper jelly. Toss it all together to coat. Spread the bacon out on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spoon any extra jelly onto the slices, then cover with another sheet of parchment paper and another cookie sheet to keep the slices from rolling up. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove top sheet and parchment paper, and finish for another 5 minutes in the oven. "We cook about 50 pounds of bacon every day. We double it, crumble it, crisp it and stack it." -MATTHEW NEWTON

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