According to the New York Times, the Bacon Explosion is one of the most talked about recipes on the Internet this year. It first appeared just before Christmas, on a website devoted to competitive barbecuing and by the time the Super Bowl rolled around, fans had viewed the recipe nearly half a million times. So what is the Bacon Explosion? You start by buying two pounds of raw bacon, and two pounds of ground sausage – worth about $20 at your local grocery store. Next, you weave the bacon strips into a large meat mat, which you cover with a layer of sausage. Then you sprinkle a layer of crunchy cooked bacon on top, and roll the whole concoction into a tight torpedo-shaped roll. Finally, you slather the hefty pile of pork with BBQ sauce and toss it on the grill. BBQ enthusiasts say that when the Bacon Explosion is cooked right, the rendered fat from the bacon keeps the sausage juicy. Another option is to cook it in a smoker for several hours, where the smoke heightens the flavor of the meats giving you the best tasting Explosion in town.

Now, if all of this sounds extreme, it is! Meat lovers describe the Bacon Explosion as the “BBQ recipe to end all BBQ recipes!” However, vegetarians and health fanatics think it’s more like a disgusting artery exploder. Exactly how bad is this meat monster for your health? Even the most conservative estimates put it at about 5,000 calories, and more than 500 grams of fat! That’s more than enough food in one meal to keep your body stuffed for several days. You’d have to eat 20 orders of hamburgers and fries from McDonald’s to get the same fat count. That’s why even the hardiest BBQ fans recommend serving the Bacon Explosion with extreme caution. As one BBQ chef in Las Vegas puts it: The taste is awesome, but it’s the sort of thing where you need to call 911 after you’re done eating it.