Grill-Fried Bacon and Eggs
The only place to start with something so absurd yet perfect as this dish is in the middle. The bacon is ready to flip in about a minute and a half. The edges get super-crispy (who has ever noticed before that bacon has corners?), while the lean inside stays wet and meaty. And the fat actually firms and ripples, like lardo that’s been working out. Suspense builds when you flip the bacon and crack the eggs on top. It’s awful—like watching a landslide threaten to wipe out your village—as the egg whites run toward the edge of the hot brick, but the salt is so hot they rapidly lose steam (pun intended) and sizzle to a halt, with at most just a few rivulets dribbling over the sides of the block. The whole thing is done in less than 5 minutes. Take a bite and things get weirder still, with the sheen of salt simmering underneath the egg and bacon instead of on top, and a jumble of textures—creamy, crunchy, chewy, juicy, fatty, fleshy, and eggy.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the salt block on a gas grill, set the burners to low, and cover the grill. After 15 minutes increase the heat to medium, and after 15 minutes more increase the heat to high. Heat 15 minutes more. (If you are using a charcoal grill, you will need to preheat the block on a stove as described on page 269. Once the block is preheated, build a medium hot charcoal fire and transfer the hot block to the grill 15 minutes before cooking, using heavy grill or oven mitts.)
Step 2
Crack the eggs into individual ramekins, teacups, or other small containers; set aside.
Step 3
Brush the bread slices with oil and set aside.
Step 4
When the salt block is very hot (you should only be able to hold your hand above it for 2 or 3 seconds), lay the bacon slices on the block so they are parallel to one another and separated into two groups of 2 slices each. Cook until sizzling and browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. If the coals should flare up, douse with a spray of water. Try not to get any water on the salt block.
Step 5
Flip the bacon. Carefully pour 2 eggs on top of each group of 2 bacon slices. Pour slowly and guide the eggs with a small spatula so that they land right on the bacon. The eggs will start to set up as soon as they hit the salt block. Don’t worry if some egg white runs over the edge of the block. Cover the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the white is set but the yolk is still runny.
Step 6
During the last minute, toast the bread slices over the moderate heat area of the grill.
Step 7
Lift each portion of bacon and eggs off the grill onto a warm plate. Add the toast and season the eggs liberally with freshly cracked black pepper. Using a grill mitt, oven mitt, or pot holders, remove the salt block from the grill grate and set aside to cool before cleaning and storing (see page 270).
