Thick Slab Bacon Is The Unexpected Star Of Your Next Barbecue

Thick slab bacon isn't just a fancy breakfast upgrade. As an ultra-flavorful cut of pork belly with a crispy crust and chewy interior, slab bacon is decadent and hearty enough to become the centerpiece of your next barbecue. We interviewed Greg Gatlin, James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef and Founder of Gatlin's BBQ and the recently opened Gatlin's Fins & Feathers on how to make thick slab bacon the star of your next cookout.

"Incorporating slab bacon into your barbecue spread can be done in several ways," Gatlin said. "If you've cured your slab bacon it can be used for BLT Sandwiches nestled between thick slices of Texas Toast. You can add it to your favorite burger giving it an amazing flavor boost. The other way is not curing it and smoking it into tender bite-size morsels called burnt ends or slices and hunks of super tender and rich pork belly dishes."

Gatlin refers to slab bacon as cured or uncured, but all kinds of bacon are cured in some way. The uncured slab bacon Gatlin is talking about uses natural nitrites, giving it a saltier, more porky flavor. Uncured center-cut bacon comes with salty and spicy seasonings, while whole smoked bacon slabs have woodsy notes like hickory or mesquite. You can slice them to your desired thickness before throwing them on the grill for scrumptious BLTs or alongside burger patties. You can also use smoked cured bacon slab for oven-made burnt ends.

Greg Gatlin completes a slab bacon barbecue dinner with flavorful glazes and sides. Slab bacon's smoky, salty, and savory taste pairs well with barbecue condiments from around the world, and the chef has a number of sauce and glaze ideas.

"BBQ Sauces and glazes are best with slab bacon," Gatlin said. "They can range from Szechuan pepper, maple glaze with brown sugar, apricot, or peach, to name a few. I always like to create a barbecue sauce to pair with the flavor profile I'm looking for." 

There are plenty of barbecue sauces and glazes to brush over or accompany slab bacon. For starters, you can keep it simple with a three-ingredient BBQ sauce blend of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. We also have a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce to spread into a slab bacon sandwich with pickles and onions. For an Asian-themed barbecue, toss bacon slab burnt ends in a gochujang and sesame oil-infused sauce like the one used in this saucy Korean fried chicken sandwich recipe.

As for sides, Gatlin mentions the tried and true classics along with more nuanced sides. "These pork dishes pair well with slaws, potato salad, beans, and one that you might not think about is being mixed in with roasted brussels sprouts," he said. And with that in mind, this creamy dill potato salad or these sweet slow cooker baked beans would be perfect complements to savory bacon. Brussels sprouts or collard greens would provide a robust and bitter side that'll stand up well to the richness of bacon.