With its many militant vegans and anti-meatists, San Francisco might seem like an odd place to hold an event called BaconCamp. But when pork enthusiasts gathered here for the second year in a row to devour all things bacon, Asylum knew we needed to be on hand to take in the action -- literally.

And by "all things bacon," we mean it. We're talking bacon loaf cakes, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, bacon fruit salad, and maple-bacon macaroons. In short, it was bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, and more flippin' bacon.

The extravaganza was held last weekend in a cramped warehouse in the heart of San Francisco. As participants presented their bacon-infused dishes on a small stage, attendees were treated to that oh-so-familiar sizzling-pork aroma. You know the smell.

But BaconCamp is not a spectator sport. Every person who showed up was encouraged to dig in and sample the 33 different entries into the competition as three "American Idol"–type judges sampled and rated each dish. Pork-belly culinary creativity abounded, and went well with bacon-themed tutorials, jokes, poetry and double entendres.

Join Asylum as we meet the pork-obsessed folks behind this important event, and to see such heart-stopping concoctions such as bacon Twinkies and bacon Bloody Marys.


In a city known for its hardcore health nuts, BaconCamp was like a meat-eaters support group.

"Like many people, I grew up thinking bacon was bad for you," remarked one attendee, who'd brought an artichoke and Baconnaise-inspired creation to enter into the competition.

"I'm another fat, white guy talking about bacon," added another, chomping on a bacon-wrapped meatball.

But most new arrivals proudly wore their love for bacon on their sleeves -- and their chests -- and excitedly geared themselves up for the main event.


Everyone who entered dishes into the BaconCamp competition was vying for big, fancy prizes, like the Mr. Bacon's Big Adventure board game shown here. But the three judges were ruthless.

For example, after each sampled the previously-mentioned artichoke dish, one of them said, "It needed more Baconaise. The artichoke wasn't very bacon-y."

"I could taste vegetable," added another, scrunching his face. "It's a little too healthy for my taste."


But a few dishes emerged as critical darlings.

"Fried things stuffed with fried things, and topped with gravy!" shouted a judge, after sampling the bacon-wrapped meatballs. "This is everything that BaconCamp stands for! Don't eat it if you have heart problems!"

The same could undoubtedly be said of the Bacone: a funnel-shaped cone made out of bacon that you stuff with eggs, cheese, and bread.

Needless to say, this was the judges' choice at the inaugural BaconCamp.


On the dessert front, the bacon brownies went fast -- too fast for Asylum to sample! But we did try the bacon Twinkie.

"That's a bit frightening," said one of the judges of this confection. "The execution's scary, but the presentation's great."

And we'd have to agree. Twinkies wrapped in bacon and garnished with mint leaves seems like a good idea in theory. It momentarily became all the buzz with BaconCampers, as they grabbed for the plate to try one.

But in reality, the consensus seemed to be that it was a very bad food decision. Simply put, the bacon-wrapped Twinkie made our tummies hurt.



Finally, something we could really get into: alcoholic drinks mixed with bacon.

"I've made Bloody Marys out of bacon-infused vodka," said the mixologist behind this freakish cocktail.

Not only is bacon grease added to this beverage, but a strip of bacon is used in place of a celery stick. It's garnished with olives stuffed with, you guessed it, bacon. Delicious!


Bacon grease was also added to rye whiskey for this artery-clogging cocktail and mixed with maple syrup.

As you might have guessed, it tasted like, well, whiskey with a bacon-grease kicker.



At the end of the long day, handsome pig trophies were given out to the best bacon dishes, as voted upon by participants and attendees. One victor -- the 2010 champ of BaconCamp -- stood head and hocks above all others, and that was the mad genius behind the Chicken-Fried Bacon Sausage.


Our clothes smelled of bacon for days after leaving BaconCamp, and our arteries still feel like they need Liquid Plumr. Needless to say, we'll be steering clear of crispy pork belly for a while. Is there a word that describes a hangover, only for bacon? Because that's what BaconCamp gave us.