Makin' bacon: Stepping up our game

The couple in this picture are Amy and Tom Ifft, and they are magicians. They take humble little pink blobs like the adorable ones they're holding in this picture and--through conscientious feeding practices and loving care at their farm, Twin Oak--transform them into magnificently delicious meat.

What's the difference between the styrofoam-backed meats lined up in orderly rows at Da Jewels, and the less-polished, more-pricey cuts offered by family farmers like the Iffts? In a word: HUGE. That extra effort and expense leads to a vast difference in the meat's flavor, texture, and healthfulness--so much so, that if you procure their goods from Twin Oak Meats or corner butchers like Paulina Meat Market, you might never visit the mass-market meat mounds again.

For obvious reasons, BDJ Labs is turning to Twin Oak Meats as the pork-belly source for our next bacon-making effort. This week, we're placing an order and hopefully, good Lord willin', we'll pick up a pretty portion of pork from their booth at Chicago's Green City Market Saturday morning. We can hardly wait.