My Bacon Story

I'll spare you the hand wringing, but I think it could have been better if I spent more time on it...

Edit: On a second note, if you want to see how a real writer handles such things just go here.

Jerome Wallace was a ripe old boy, talked with a twang
in his voice that carried on for 3 syllables. I loved
him like a brother though. We'd gone through a war
together and I knew all I needed to know about him.
See Jerome didn't know a lot of things, but that boy
sure knew his bacon.

The Wallace's had a place off Dummy Line Road outside
of Thomasville Alabama. Jerome's daddy raised cows,
chickens and goats, but the pigs were his pride.
Everyone in town called papa Wallace 'Porky'... for
obvious reasons.

Porky taught Jerome everything he knew about raising
pigs, and Jerome loved sharing his knowledge with me.
Jerome told me about feeding pigs for bacon. He was
taught to rotate the swine feed to guarantee the best
results, he fed them corn, wheat, soy, protein shakes
and barley.

Jerome said to produce the leanest and tastiest bacon
possible Papa porky would make brine from ground salt,
maple sugar, and water from the creek bordering the
back of their property. Porky always said it was
'cause of the nutrients, but Jerome thought it looked
like plain old water. The pork bellies were then
smoked with more maple to soak up the sweet taste.

I can remember his voice, pining on and on about all
the cuts and varieties he knew how to make. "Wayuul,
yuew got yerself regular bacon, we made maypul,
cheeruh, and salt bacon. We mayd ourselfs kenadiun
bacun that wus just really slice loin, we got fat
back, gypsy bacun, eyetalian pansheetuh, back bacun,
and peameal bacon that wee'd piikcle and coat in
cornmeeeal. We cut streeky bacon, jowl bacon, hock
bacon, cottage bacon, middle bacon, collar bacon, and
gammon bacon. Yeep, thats 'bout eet"

I sure miss my friend Jerome, I think about him every
time I eat breakfast.

Winning myself the Bacon of the month club membership
would bring me close to Jerome again, and it would do
it for me every month. I sure do hope I get that
chance.


Thank you.
Munson C Forrest