Meats

Applewoodsmoked Bacon

North Country Smokehouse, Claremont, New Hampshire

There are so many good things to mention about North Country Smokehouse: its 105-year history, its sustainable sourcing from certified humane farms, its revitalization of downtown Claremont. But we’re talking about bacon here. And we could write sonnets to the smoky goodness of North Country’s thick-cut slabs. Starting with lean belly meat, the bacon is marinated in a maple syrup–based brine for several days, then doublesmoked over local applewood at low temperatures. “This is a traditional northern New England–style recipe,” says Mike Satzow, executive vice president and grandson of company founder Abraham Satzow. “[It’s] the maple brine, and the fact that we smoke it so much longer—up to 12 hours. We take things slow up here.”

Suggested retail $18.75 per pound. Available at North Country Smokehouse’s website, as well as at Hannaford stores and many specialty food stores