Candied bourbon bacon is sweet, salty and irresistible

• 12 oz bacon
• 1 oz bourbon
• Kosmos Q Honey Killer Bee meat rub (enough to coat both sides of the bacon)

• Check your smoker and replace the drip tray liner if covered in build-up. Preheat your Traeger or other smoker to 400°.
• While the grill preheats, lay your strips of bacon onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Use a basting brush to coat each bacon strip with bourbon (we used Woodford Reserve, but use whatever bourbon is in your liquor cabinet.)
• Shake the Honey Killer Bee onto the bacon and pat it in. You could use another sweet seasoning, but we like the Honey Killer Bee because it has both sugar and honey along with some savory spices.
• Now flip the bacon and repeat with the bourbon and the meat rub.
• When your Traeger is preheated, use tongs to lay the bacon directly across the grill grates.* Close the lid and resist the urge to peek.
• After 4 minutes, flip the bacon. Wait a couple minutes and then begin checking the bacon every 1-2 minutes for doneness. If you walk away, the bacon will go from underdone to burned quickly.
• Remove the bacon when it looks done - it might be a little limp as you pull it from the grill, but it will firm up and lose most of its stickiness when you lay it flat on a clean cookie sheet to cool.

As soon as the bacon is cool enough that it won't burn the roof of your mouth, dig in! Notice the sweet, but not too sweet, flavor along with the bourbon notes? It's bacon, only better! Warning: This candied bourbon bacon will disappear FAST! Hide a piece or two for yourself before sharing with friends.

*Note: Do not place bacon directly on grill grates if there is a flame directly underneath, such as a gas or charcoal grill. The sugar and bacon drippings will cause a fire. Instead, you can try laying bacon strips across a wire rack, set inside a baking sheet to catch the drippings. Modify cooking time as necessary.