Marriage of bacon and honey creates unique flavor combination

My friend Grant Gillard of Jackson is the area's premier beekeeper and honey producer. He and his wife, Nancy, enjoy trying recipes that include honey as an ingredient. However, Grant also finds great enjoyment in bacon and recipes using bacon. As I was thinking about my column for this week, I came across one of my favorite appetizer recipes and thought, "This is a Grant Gillard recipe, for sure!" That got me thinking about other recipes I had using honey or bacon as part of the ingredients and surprisingly I found several, so very quickly I had a column all planned.

This is for you, Grant, and I sure hope you enjoy all of these recipes -- and just maybe they may become some of your favorite recipes.

Candied Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple with Honey-Sriracha Sauce

This is so good it almost tastes like candy; the most delicious, irresistible appetizer you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting. This is a fabulous combination of flavors that become a party favorite once you serve it to friends and family.

For the candied bacon-wrapped pineapple:

• 10 strips thick-cut applewood smoked bacon
• 20 chunks fresh pineapple
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

For the honey-Sriracha dipping sauce:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh cilantro stems

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil. Cut bacon strips in half widthwise. Put brown sugar on a large (dinner-size) plate. Wrap each pineapple chunk with bacon. Roll each bacon-wrapped pineapple in brown sugar to coat. Pat a bit more sugar, if needed, to completely coat. Place rolls, seam side down, on prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Pieces near edges of pan may cook a bit faster. Check every few minutes toward the end of baking time and remove bacon rolls as needed. Place rolls on several thicknesses of paper toweling for just one minute, then transfer to serving platter. Serve on their own or with Honey-Sriracha Dipping Sauce.

For the Honey-Sriracha Dipping Sauce:

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake till well-combined.

Notes about this recipe: The recipe for the dipping sauce can be made ahead, as well as wrapping the pineapple in bacon. Refrigerate until ready to be used. When ready to bake the rolls, roll into the brown sugar and continue with recipe instructions. To prepare the pineapple into chunks, cut pineapple into rectangular chunks slightly smaller than the width of your bacon. Sriracha is a delicious hot sauce that's available in the Asian section of most larger grocery stores. Cilantro stems are the most flavorful part of the herb. Finely sliced cilantro stems are wonderful for fresh sauces, since they don't wilt like the leaves do when combined with liquid ingredients. Makes 20 appetizers.

Spicy Honey-Glazed Bacon

Slices of smoky bacon slathered in a spicy honey mixture are great at breakfast and addictive enough for a midnight snack. My husband can eat a very large amount of this bacon anytime of the day or night.

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the paper in a single layer. In a small skillet, combine the honey, coriander and cayenne and cook over high heat until melted, about 1 minute. Brush the spiced honey on one side of the bacon and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, depending on the thickness and fattiness of the bacon, until sizzling and browned. Transfer the bacon to paper towels, glazed side up, to drain and cool slightly. Serve right away.

Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloins

A satisfying combination of honey and pork in this recipe combines honey, smoky chipotle pepper and soy sauce help to flavor these easy to prepare pork tenderloins. Serve it with veggies or rice for a satisfying meal.

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pork tenderloins (1 pound each)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first three ingredients; rub over pork. In a large ovenproof skillet, brown pork in canola oil on all sides.

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil; spoon over pork. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees, basting occasionally with pan juices. Let stand five minutes before slicing. Yield: 6 servings.

Honey-Mustard Pork Roast with Bacon

Pork:

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 (3 1/2 -pound) center-cut, boneless, pork loin roast
• 12 slices bacon (about 1 pound)

Salad:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups (5 ounces) baby arugula

For the pork: Put the oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic and rosemary and mix together until smooth. Arrange the pork in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan and spread the mustard mixture evenly over the pork. Starting on one side, lay a piece of bacon, lengthwise, on the pork. Lay another slice of bacon on the pork, making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon, until the pork is fully covered in bacon. Using three pieces of kitchen twine, secure the bacon in place. Roast for 1 hour. Cover the pan, loosely, with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board. Cover the pan with foil and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick slices.

For the salad: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the arugula on a large platter and drizzle with the dressing. Arrange the pork slices on top or around the edges and serve.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.