WHY DID THE DESIGNER FEEL COMPELLED TO CONTINUE AFTER CREATING THE PIG?:

Bacon Improvement: A simple glaze of brown sugar and orange juice can take this breakfast favorite to sublime heights. (Adam Ried, September 23, 2007, Boston Globe)

Bacon may just be as good as it gets. It's rich, meaty, fatty, smoky, and faintly sweet - in short, right on the doorstep of decadence. With a profile like that, is there room for improvement? Surprisingly, yes. All it takes is a bit of brown sugar, a few drops of orange juice, and a turn in the oven. This magical combination yields lacquered bacon, a.k.a. glazed or candied or sugared bacon, an unexpected case of gilding the lily. [...]

BROWN SUGAR LACQUERED BACON
SERVES 8 (2 OR 3 STRIPS PER PERSON)

1 pound bacon
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons orange juice

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a large wire rack in the pan. Arrange the bacon slices on the rack and roast until the bacon renders some of its fat and the slices shrink significantly, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and orange juice. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a pastry brush, lightly swab the slices with about half of the brown sugar mixture, return to the oven, and continue roasting until the sugar mixture adheres to the bacon and appears glossy, about 8 minutes. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and use tongs to turn over the slices. Lightly brush the slices with the remaining sugar mixture, return to the oven, and continue roasting until the sugar mixture adheres to the bacon and appears glossy, about 8 minutes longer. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven, transfer the bacon slices to a serving plate, and serve hot.

VARIATIONS

Spicy Chili Lacquered Bacon Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and a pinch of cayenne to the brown sugar and orange juice mixture.