Bacon Explosion

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 2 pounds thick-cut bacon, divided
• 1 tablespoon barbeque spice rub, divided
• 2 pounds bulk lamb sausage
• 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 10 mins

Ready Time: 3 hrs


• preheat smoker to 225 to 250 degrees f (110 to 120 degrees c).
• reserve about 1/2 pound bacon for cooking. lay 2 strips of the remaining bacon on a clean surface in an x. alternate horizontal and vertical bacon strips, weaving them tightly in an over-and-under pattern to create a lattice pattern. sprinkle woven bacon with 1 teaspoon barbeque rub.
• arrange reserved 1/2 pound of bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. drain the bacon slices on paper towels; crumble.
• place sausage in a large resealable plastic bag; do not close bag. roll sausage out, still in the bag, to a square the same size as the woven bacon. cut bag off the sausage and arrange sausage over bacon; discard bag. sprinkle crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, and garlic over sausage. pour about 3/4 bottle barbeque sauce over sausage and season with remaining barbeque rub.
• roll woven bacon tightly around sausage into a loaf.
• cook bacon-sausage loaf seam-side down in the preheated smoker for about 1 1/2 hours. brush woven bacon with remaining barbeque sauce and continue to smoke until loaf is no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes more. an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees f (74 degrees c). allow loaf to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.