Meat grilled over bacon can be saved for later

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MCT) - Next time you fire up the grill, get a head start on another dinner.

After preparing that night's meal, throw on a batch of meatballs, some thin hamburger patties or some quarter-inch or half-inch slices of steak. You can use the cooked meat in pasta sauce, an olive oil-garlic sauce, stroganoff or a main-dish salad.

PREPARATION

Season the meat to taste. Slice three or four pieces of bacon into 2-inch pieces.

THE PROCESS

1. Throw a handful or two of dry wood chips on the hot coals. The chips will smoke like crazy, so be careful.

2. Evenly distribute the bacon directly on top of the wood chips. Replace the grill grate and put on the meat. In a few minutes, the bacon will catch fire. This is vital for flavor, but the flames don't last more than a few minutes.

3. Don't worry about how the meat is cooking; it will sear and turn black quickly. Put the cover on the grill. That will knock down the fire.

4. When that happens, flip the meat. Let the flames rise, then put the cover back on the grill; the fire will go out.

5. Ventilate the grill for slow cooking and go have dinner. By the time you get back, the meat will be done. MORE

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LATER

As soon as the meat cools, put it in a freezer bag in the portions you'll use later and freeze it.

When you're ready for another meal, thaw the meat. Chop up the burger patties or slices of steak. Saute the meat just enough to warm it. The smoked flavor will be to die for.

I've only tried this with beef, so experiment.

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© 2008, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.