Recipe for: Bacon in oil with garlic over an open fire - photo 1
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Recipe for: Bacon in oil with garlic over an open fire

Pikantne Main Dishes Regional Cuisine of Poland Grilling 45 min Medium 8 wyświetleń ~45.64 PLN - (0)
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Description

A traditional, rustic recipe for pork belly fried in olive oil with garlic over an open fire — a variation inspired by Polish regional cuisine. The dish combines the fatty-salty flavor of the bacon with the aroma of roasted garlic, lemon, and thyme; prepared in a cast iron dish or on a grill, it gives a crispy skin and tender interior. Perfect for a May Day celebration, a gathering by the fire, or as the main element of a feast: serve with young potatoes, sour cream, or buckwheat, green onions, and sorrel for a fresh contrast to the fat. The recipe includes detailed instructions for preparation, marinating, fire-starting techniques, and readiness signals, so even beginners can prepare perfect bacon.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (10)

Servings:
4
  • Bacon 800 g
  • Olive oil 60 ml
  • Garlic 3 ząbki (~15 g)
  • Lemon 1.3 szt. (~100 g)
  • Green onion 3.3 pęczki (~100 g)
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 8 g
  • Black pepper 4 szczypty (~2 g)
  • Thyme 4 g
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Honey 30 ml
  • Sorrel 50 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~45.64 PLN (11.41 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation

1

Prepare your workspace: clean the cutting board and a sharp knife. Remove excess skin if it is very thick, but leave a layer of fat — that’s what adds flavor. Cut the bacon into slices 1–1.5 cm thick (if you prefer crispy skin, aim for that thickness). Each slice should be about 6–8 cm long to easily arrange them on the pan or grill.

Ingredients: Bacon
Use a stable cutting board and a large, sharp chef's knife. When cutting, keep your fingers curled to avoid stabbing yourself with the knife. If the bacon is too cold (chilled), it cuts more easily and evenly.

Marinade

2

In a large bowl, combine olive oil (60 g), crushed 3 cloves of garlic (15 g) — crush them with the flat side of a knife, then finely chop or press through a garlic press — juice from 1 lemon (squeezing it without seeds), thyme (4 g), 6 g of salt, and freshly ground pepper (2 g). If you want a glaze, add 30 g of honey (optional). Mix with a fork or a small whisk until you achieve a homogeneous emulsion.

Ingredients: Olive oil, Garlic, Lemon, Thyme, Salt, Black pepper, Honey
Use a metal or ceramic bowl; do not use plastic if the oil is hot. You can use a garlic press to crush the garlic. If you are using honey, warm it in your hand for a moment to help it mix more easily with the oil.
3

Transfer the bacon slices to a bowl with the marinade. Using your hands or a spoon, thoroughly coat each slice with the marinade: massage the marinade into the meat for 1–2 minutes to allow the oil and salt to start penetrating. Set aside for at least 15–20 minutes at room temperature — no longer than 1 hour in the heat. The marinade should gently cling to the bacon; the garlic and thyme should be distinctly fragrant.

Ingredients: Bacon, Olive oil, Garlic, Thyme, Salt, Black pepper, Honey
Use disposable gloves or wash your hands after massaging the meat. If you plan to prepare in advance, you can marinate for up to 2 hours in the refrigerator (chilling before frying extends the cooking time).

Bonfire and grilling

4

Prepare the fire: light hardwood (oak, beech, birch) and let it turn to embers — this takes about 20–30 minutes from ignition. The goal is to have evenly glowing coals, not a high flame. If you are using a portable grill, preheat the grate to medium-high temperature.

Use heat-resistant gloves and tongs to move the logs. Do not use accelerants near the food; let the wood burn down properly. The best effect is achieved with a cast iron grill or cast iron skillet placed directly over the coals.
5

Place a cast iron skillet on the rack or lay the bacon slices directly on the rack. If you don't have a skillet, prepare a double layer of aluminum foil: make a simple tray, pour in 1–2 tablespoons of oil, and lay the bacon in a single layer. Fry the slices for 6–8 minutes on one side without flipping – allow the fat to render and form a caramelized layer. After 6–8 minutes, check: the edges should be golden, the fat translucent, and bubbles of fat should appear under the surface.

Ingredients: Bacon, Olive oil
The best is a cast iron skillet with a diameter of 24–28 cm or a grill with wide bars. Use a spatula and tongs to turn. Do not press the slice down onto the skillet — let the fat flow out and fry naturally.
6

Flip the slices and fry for another 5–7 minutes until the meat is tender and the edges are crispy. If you used honey, in the last minute gently brush the top with a small amount of marinade or honey to create a thin glossy glaze — do not hold over high heat, as honey burns easily. Check for doneness by appearance: the meat should be firm, not raw, and the fat well rendered.

Ingredients: Bacon, Honey
If you have a kitchen thermometer, the internal temperature at the thickest part should reach ~70°C. No thermometer: cut a slice — the inside should not be raw and must be warm, with the fat translucent.

Serving

7

Transfer the cooked bacon to a cutting board or plate lined with paper towels for 2–3 minutes to allow some of the fat to drain and the meat to rest. Cut the slices into smaller pieces or serve whole. Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions (100 g) and tear the sorrel (50 g) if using. Drizzle lightly with lemon juice for freshness and a bit of oil from the pan.

Ingredients: Green onion, sorrel, Lemon, Olive oil
Use a sharp knife and a cutting board. Resting the meat is important — cutting it immediately after removing it from the heat will cause more juices to flow out, making it drier.
8

Serve the bacon with rustic bread or young potatoes boiled in their skins and sour cream, or with buckwheat. Place the bacon in the center of the plate, next to the spring onion and sorrel, and drizzle with a few drops of oil from the pan. The dish is intense — the addition of something sour (sour cream, sorrel, lemon) perfectly balances it.

Ingredients: Bacon, Green onion, sorrel, Lemon
The best serving dish is a wide, flat plate or a wooden board — this will give it a rustic character. Additionally, you can serve horseradish sauce or pickled cucumber as a contrast.

Storage

9

Store the remaining bacon in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before reheating, remove excess fat from the surface, and heat in a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes on each side to regain crispiness.

Ingredients: Bacon
Do not freeze the cooked bacon with the marinade containing honey and lemon — the texture and flavor may deteriorate. The oven at 180°C for 8–10 minutes on a rack is great for reheating.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish rural regions, bacon roasted over an open fire was sometimes a part of feasts and celebrations, and the fat from the bacon was later used for frying and preserving dishes — this is one of the most 'zero waste' traditions of rural cuisine.

Best for

majówka ognisko biesiada rodzinne grill

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve with sour accompaniments (sour cream, pickled cucumber, sorrel) and simple bread. Add young potatoes with butter and dill or buckwheat with sautéed onions. For aesthetics, use finely chopped green onions and a few sorrel leaves just before serving.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a cast iron skillet or in the oven at 180°C on a rack to regain crispiness. Do not store at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

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