Parmesan-Bacon Bubble Bread

August 2022. Memphis summer, 63 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 38 years of marriage. The BBQ class at the community center continues — students of all ages learning fire and smoke, and me learning that teaching is its own kind of cooking: you prepare, you present, you hope something sticks.

I smoked a pork shoulder this week — the king, the classic, fourteen hours over hickory. The bark was dark and the smoke ring deep and the meat fell apart in my hands with the familiar magic of something that has been loved patiently. I served it on white bread with coleslaw and vinegar sauce, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I teach everyone who stands next to my smoker, because the serving is the tradition and the tradition is the point.

The week ended on the porch with Rosetta, the evening settling over Orange Mound, the smoker cooling in the backyard. The fire was banked but not out — it's never out, just resting between cooks, holding the heat the way I hold the tradition: carefully, permanently, with the understanding that what Uncle Clyde gave me is not mine to keep but mine to pass, and the passing is the purpose.

Now, the pork shoulder gets all the glory — fourteen hours over hickory will do that — but Rosetta will tell you the bread on the table matters just as much as the meat on the plate. I mentioned serving that pulled pork on white bread, and that’s tradition, but when the evening slows down and we’re on the porch with neighbors, I like to pull out something a little more special. This Parmesan-Bacon Bubble Bread is that something — warm from the oven, savory with bacon and cheese, the kind of bread you tear apart with your hands the same way you pull pork, passing pieces around until the pan is empty and everybody’s smiling.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 tube (16.3 oz) large refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan or cast-iron skillet.
Prepare the biscuits. Separate the biscuits and cut each one into quarters.
Mix the coating. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. In a separate bowl, toss together the Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, and parsley.
Coat the pieces. Dip each biscuit quarter into the melted butter mixture, then roll it in the Parmesan-bacon mixture until well coated.
Arrange in the pan. Place the coated biscuit pieces in the prepared pan, layering them evenly. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with any leftover Parmesan-bacon mixture.
Bake. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center biscuits are cooked through.
Cool and serve. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate or serve straight from the skillet. Pull apart and enjoy warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Parmesan-Bacon Bubble Bread — The Bread We Break Between Cooks