Easy Glazed Bacon

March. Spring ball and Diego's last spring practice at this school. I have been coaching for twenty-three years. In that time I have sent many players to their final practices at this or another school and I have never been the person those players went home to afterward. This is different. I know it will be different and I'm trying to be ready for the particular texture of it.

He ran like someone with something to prove. Not to me, not to the scouts who were watching — to himself. That's the right target. You prove things to yourself or the proof means nothing. He had a spring session where the offensive coordinator couldn't tackle him in any drill and the defense couldn't contain him and I watched from my standard distance at the far hash and I thought: this is the last time I coach him at this level. And then I went back to my clipboard because the last time is not the point. The fullest version of the time is the point.

Sofia won the state 3200 meters championship. She called me from the track, out of breath, laughing. Second time I've heard that laugh — the one that comes after something real. She said, "Dad. I won the state championship." I said, "I know. I was watching." She said, "I know you were watching. I could see you." She's fifteen and she won the Colorado state championship in the 3200 and she could see me from the finish line. I was not subtle. I did not attempt to be subtle.

Smoked brisket to celebrate both events. Diego's spring finale and Sofia's championship. Both of them at the table. Both of them becoming exactly who they're supposed to be. Fourteen-hour brisket on a Sunday. Some occasions earn it.

I won’t pretend this is brisket — fourteen hours of oak smoke is its own Sunday ritual and I’m not giving that up — but when I need something on the table that carries the same slow, glazed, caramelized seriousness, Easy Glazed Bacon is where I land. Diego’s spring finale and Sofia’s state championship both happened in the same week, and that kind of doubling deserves a cook that requires patience and attention, not something you throw together in twenty minutes. The glaze here has that same pull as a good brisket bark: sweet up front, savory underneath, a little smoke if you want it. That’s the right flavor for a table where both of your kids showed up exactly as who they’re supposed to be.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb thick-cut bacon slices
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the rack without overlapping.
Mix the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne if using until smooth and combined.
Glaze the bacon. Using a pastry brush or spoon, coat the top side of each bacon slice generously with the glaze.
First bake. Bake for 15 minutes until the bacon begins to render and the glaze starts to set.
Second glaze and finish. Remove from oven, flip each slice, and brush the second side with remaining glaze. Return to oven and bake an additional 8—10 minutes until bacon is deeply caramelized and lacquered but not burnt. Watch closely in the final minutes.
Rest before serving. Let bacon rest on the rack for 5 minutes — the glaze will firm up as it cools. Transfer to a platter and serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Easy Glazed Bacon — When the Occasion Earns Something Real