ENTERTAINMENT

I ate a four-course bacon meal and (barely) survived

Matthew Leimkuehler
mleimkuehler@dmreg.com
A bucket of bacon from Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon Bacon in West Des Moines.

With the 2016 edition of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival right around the corner, it’s bacon-eating season in Iowa. How does one enhance a love for bacon in preparation of the Feb. 20 event? Eat an all-bacon meal.

Well, at least that’s how I decided to tackle it.

Seeking bacon eating support from the Register’s dining reporter, Susan Stapleton, we journeyed to West Des Moines' Jethro’s BBQ ‘n Bacon Bacon in search of eating a four-course, all-bacon meal. Here’s how the meal broke down.

Appetizer

What’s better to start off an all-bacon meal than an appetizer of ... bacon? Jethro’s offers a bucket of bacon — 10 crispy strips ready to be dipped in any of the multiple BBQ sauces offered. It’s salty, it’s crunchy, it’s the first step of climbing the food mountain that is an all-bacon meal.

Salad

Pro tip: when looking to up your bacon intake during a meal, just add bacon to the side salad. For the Jethro’s version of a bacon side salad, it comes crumbled and strewn across the top of the dish. Per the parameters of the meal, the dressing of choice has to be the “creamy bacon bacon,” a chipotle ranch-style dressing with — you guessed it — bacon added.

The "Bacon Bacon" sandwich and a side salad with bacon from Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon Bacon in West Des Moines.

Entree

The bacon bacon sandwich at Jethro’s isn’t something to be taken lightly. This hearty hoagie included 4 slices of thick-cut meat, topped with "Hollandaise" sauce. The thick slices provided a departure from the thin pieces delivered with the appetizer. This sandwich isn’t a warm-up act, it’s the MLB: Major League Bacon.

First confession: I couldn’t finish the sandwich. With my mind on dessert, I hit a wall about halfway through. Second confession: despite being deliciously cheesy and bacon-infused, I also failed in finishing my side of bacon mac and cheese.

My dining companion indulged on the brisket bacon melt — a sandwich grilled on rye and topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Her side of choice? The potato bacon soup.

Bacon ice cream and chocolate covered bacon are two of the desserts offered at Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon Bacon.

Dessert

Bacon ice cream. Yes, sweet and savory ice cream juxtaposed against chunks of salty meat.

Described in the menu as a “huge scoop,” the bowl of ice cream provided a smooth ending to a meaty meal. My dining companion dared to try the chocolate-covered bacon slice, which came served on a stick.

Want to try your own all-bacon meal? Head to jethrosdesmoines.com for more info on Jethro’s BBQ ‘n Bacon Bacon.