The Bacon Beat / Meat

Hickory Smoked Pork Chops with Maple-Mustard Glaze Recipe

Hickory Smoked Pork Chops with Maple-Mustard Glaze Recipe

Have you ever made a smoked pork chop on the grill? They are about as easy to cook as boiling pasta water. Simply heat your grill to medium/medium-low and warm your smoked chops for about 3 minutes on each side or until warmed through. Our Hickory Smoked Pork Chops are pre-cooked in the smokehouse, so you aren’t aiming to actually *cook* a smoked chop, just to heat it up gently, so as not to dry it out.

Make no mistake; grilled smoked pork chops are absolutely delicious on their own, but if you want to add a little sumthin’ extra special to your next smoked chop, try this sweet, tangy Maple-Dijon Mustard Glaze drizzled on top of each chop:

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Hot Dogs Five Favorite Ways!

Hot Dogs Five Favorite Ways!

Hot Dog Upgrades are here! This week, we're talking about our favorite ways to cook - and our favorite fun garnishes for - this summer grilling classic over at our blog, The Bacon Beat. Ever tried a spiral dog? How about a bacon-wrapped dog? Well, we've got info on those succulent sausage ideas plus some other winning summer meal ideas!
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Mother's Day: Nolechek's Favorite Brunch Ideas

Mother's Day: Nolechek's Favorite Brunch Ideas

If you’re planning on seeing Mom this weekend, we've got some great ideas for an unforgettable, homemade Mother’s Day Brunch made with some of our favorite breakfast meats. Whether your mom loves a light, savory quiche or is more of a pancakes-and-bacon woman, we've got the recipe ideas that you’re looking for.
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Nolechek Family Grilling: Favorite Dishes, Favorite Stories

Nolechek Family Grilling: Favorite Dishes, Favorite Stories

Looking out the window, it’s difficult to believe that grilling season is right around the corner, but if you’re from Wisconsin, you probably don’t let the pesky cold weather stop you from living up to your Grill Master status. Grilling is in our blood at Nolechek’s and, while everyone has their favorite way to cook outdoors, the results are the same. Delicious, home-cooked food that brings everyone together to laugh, reminisce, and enjoy the fellowship that only a full table of food can bring.
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Burger Time! Nolechek’s Top 5 Best Bacon Cheeseburger Ideas

Burger Time! Nolechek’s Top 5 Best Bacon Cheeseburger Ideas

Bacon Cheeseburgers = Greatness

When was the last time you made burgers on the grill? Did you add bacon? If it's been awhile since you made a BCB - and even if it hasn't - this weekend is a golden opportunity to whip up some big, beefy burgers covered in melty Wisconsin Cheddar and topped with crispy strips of Nolechek's Bacon. Want to try some twists on your next Bacon Cheeseburger? We're sharing our Top 5 Best Bacon Cheeseburger Ideas right here, right now!

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Spring Grilling Season: Nolechek’s Sweet & Savory Bratwurst

Spring Grilling Season: Nolechek’s Sweet & Savory Bratwurst

We've got specialty bratwurst galore and we're here with our Top 3 Spring Specialty Brats - as well as new ideas for condiments - to bring your first grilled brat of spring to the next level.

Wisconsin is known for many things, like the beautiful shoreline along Lake Michigan and our beloved Green Bay Packers football team. However, one could make a solid argument that Wisconsin is equally famous for its specialty foods, in this case: the humble bratwurst.

The history of the “brat” goes all the way back to the 19th century, when German immigrants settled in Wisconsin and brought their love of Old World Bratwurst right along with them. At Nolechek's, we honor that tradition with our Traditional Fresh Bratwurst that has followed the same recipe for over 65 years and been recognized with multiple state and national awards. But as they say, variety is the spice of life, and we love our Specialty Brats - especially when topped with unexpected fixings!

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Bacon Facts: Boost Your Bacon Knowledge!

Bacon Facts: Boost Your Bacon Knowledge!

Whaddya know about bacon? You know you love it. You know it's smoky, salty, sweet, and so full of flavor that most other foods can't hold a candle to it, but we're here to share some fun bacon facts that you might not have heard of before!
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National Cold Cut Day: What's In Nolechek's Deli Case?

National Cold Cut Day: What's In Nolechek's Deli Case?

Cold cuts have an impressive history, dating back to around 500 B.C. when Ancient Romans and Etruscan populations found that salting and smoking meats, such as ham and prosciutto, helped to preserve them longer. However, we can thank the Earl of Sandwich for popularizing cold cuts as we know and love them today. Back in the eighteenth century, he famously asked for slices of bread to surround his meat so that he could continue his gambling game.
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Recipe: Ham & Gouda Crepes

Nolechek’s Recipe: Hickory Smoked Ham & Creamy Gouda Crêpes

Ooh la la! Crêpes are so very French and so very fantastic. We like making this ham-and-cheesy version that is as simple to prepare as it is delightful to devour. These savory crêpes include our Nolechek’s Hickory Smoked Ham  and handcrafted, award-winning Marieke Gouda Farmstead Cheese Enjoy these crêpes for an elegant breakfast, fun brunch, light lunch, or an extravagant snack.
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70 Years & Beyond: Nolechek Family History

70 Years & Beyond: Nolechek Family History

...but what came before all of that? How did a Bohemian like Doc Nolechek end up in Thorp, Wisconsin, and come to purchase the Locker plant, which 70 years later still exists as Nolechek’s Meats? Sit back my friends, and let me tell you a story...
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Bacon Lovers' Opinion: Thick-Sliced Bacon vs. Thin-Sliced Bacon

Bacon Lovers' Opinion: Thick-Sliced Bacon vs. Thin-Sliced Bacon

Friendly arguments between people who are passionate about great foods are nothing new. For example, folks have been heatedly debating for decades whether pineapple on pizza is scrumptious or sacrilegious. We'll leave judgment on that one up to the pizza purists; we have more important things to worry about - namely the virtues of thin- vs. thick-sliced bacon.

At Nolechek’s, our standard bacon thickness is a meaty 1/8" and our thick-sliced bacon is a hefty 1/4" thick. Bacon purchased in the store is typically 1/16". We do offer what we consider a thin-sliced bacon at 1/16”, but you’ll have to visit our retail store in Thorp, Wisconsin, to get Nolechek’s bacon that thin!

First, we'd like to say that, at Nolechek's, we don't judge. We embrace all bacon lovers equally, whether they like it thin and crispy or thick and meaty. Frankly, we love both cuts; we just use them, in cooking, a little differently. Here are some of our favorite ways to use each kind of bacon:

Top 5 Uses for Thin-Sliced Bacon

  • Served with eggs
  • As a pizza topping
  • Wrapping meats and vegetables
  • Topping salads
  • Serving a big crowd

Top 5 Uses for Thick-Sliced Bacon

  • Bacon cheeseburgers
  • BLTs & BLATs
  • Baked beans
  • Braised with greens
  • Steamed bacon bao buns (YUM)

That said, if crispy, crumbly bacon is all you crave, then fry up those thin, cracklin’ slices. If you prefer your bacon thick and chewy, then just do you, because the beautiful thing about Nolechek’s Sliced Hickory Smoked Bacon is that it's one of the best foods on earth, no matter how you slice it!

Yours Through Thick & Thin,

- Nolechek’s Meats

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Nolechek's Polish Sausage FAQ: Wisconsin's Fourth-Generation Smokehouse Talks Kielbasa, Polish, & Old World Sausages

Nolechek's Polish Sausage FAQ: Wisconsin's Fourth-Generation Smokehouse Talks Kielbasa, Polish, & Old World Sausages

Let’s take some time to address one of the age-old questions of our time…and no; it’s not, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” The question today is, “What is the difference between polish sausage and kielbasa?”
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