The Morning After Recipe

Place thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl or jar. Stir together apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and kosher salt until sugar dissolves. Pour over onions, press down so onion is submerged and let sit at least 15 minutes (can be made up to 2 days ahead refrigerated). Drain before using.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Pat slab bacon dry and sprinkle the spice mix evenly over both sides, pressing lightly.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon neutral oil. When hot, add bacon strips and sear 1–2 minutes per side until browned. Transfer skillet to the oven and roast 6–10 minutes more until bacon is cooked through and slightly caramelized (timing depends on thickness). Remove and rest 3 minutes, then keep warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) while finishing other components.

Split and lightly butter the English muffins with softened butter. Toast on a skillet over medium heat or under a broiler until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side. Keep warm.

In a small bowl, toss arugula with lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Set aside until assembly.

Coarsely crush pork rinds with your hands or a zip-top bag and rolling pin; reserve for garnish.

Hollandaise (quick stovetop/emulsion)

Set a small saucepan of water over low heat to barely simmer and place a heatproof bowl (metal or glass) over it to create a double boiler, making sure bowl bottom doesn't touch water. Whisk together 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt until slightly thickened. Very slowly drizzle in the hot melted butter while whisking constantly to form an emulsion. Whisk until sauce is thick and glossy. Season with 1/8 tsp cayenne and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep warm over the barely-warm water (remove from heat if it gets too hot to avoid breaking). If sauce becomes too thick, whisk in 1/2 tsp warm water to loosen.

Over-Medium Eggs

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low and add a thin film of butter or oil. Crack 2 eggs into the pan and cook gently until the whites are set but the yolks still jiggle, about 2–3 minutes. Carefully flip each egg with a spatula and cook 30–45 seconds to set the top but keep yolk slightly runny (over-medium). Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 eggs.

Alternate poaching method: Bring a wide shallow pan of water to a bare simmer, add 1 tsp white wine vinegar, swirl, and slip in eggs one at a time. Poach 3 minutes for slightly runny yolks, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels before keeping warm.

On each toasted English muffin half, layer as follows: a small handful of dressed arugula, one or two strips of BBQ-spiced slab bacon (depending on size), a few pickled red onion slices, then top with two over-medium eggs (place both eggs on the top muffin half so they sit together), and spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm hollandaise over the eggs.

Finish each stack with a sprinkle of crushed pork rinds for crunch and a pinch of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.