If there is one thing about which Jews and Muslims agree, it’s that pigs are filthy animals. Both religions dictate that their adherents shall not eat nothin’ that ain’t got sense enough to disregard its own feces. But, as Vincent Vega pointed out so succinctly, bacon tastes goooood.
Sorry Rabbi Kahn, but I'm with Vincent Vega on this one. And when I’ve got that deliciously sinful hankering for bacon, I head straight to Peter Luger’s Steakhouse. I wish I could order their bacon along with a nice, fat porterhouse, but cab drivers don’t make as much money as they used to thanks to the price of gasoline. So I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge yesterday afternoon with my friend Matthew to order the $8.50 burger that they serve at lunch. But I was really there for the bacon.
Just a couple of years back, the bacon at Luger’s was a secret. Only those in the know would tell their waiter to bring them Canadian bacon as an appetizer, while everyone else was faced with options like a tasteless Cesar salad or a plain slice of tomato with onion. Nowadays, the secret is out, and bacon is right there on the menu.
If an appetizer is supposed to start your mouth watering, the thick slab of bacon that is plated without garnish at Luger’s is ideal. The smell alone does the trick. And each bite is like a journey to heaven and back. The edges are slightly charred and crispy. The center is fatty without being too chewy or greasy. Some bites are tender beyond human comprehension. Some bites are juicy like I never even knew bacon could be. And some of the burnt edge bites start out dry and smoky until a few chews turn the meat even juicier than the juicy bites.
As if the bacon isn’t tasty enough on its own, the famous Luger’s steak sauce compliments the pork flavor just as well as it does the porterhouse. So order a second slab, slice it up, and place it atop your burger along with plenty of steak sauce. You may very well have a religious experience akin to achieving Shangri La. Just don’t tell your imam or your rabbi.
Peter Luger's Steak House, 178 Broadway, Brooklyn, 718-387-7400
