Place bacon in a cool cast iron skillet; turn heat to medium. Cook until bacon is crispy, but not burnt (about 10-12 minutes).

Remove bacon from skillet and pat dry. Drain most of the bacon grease from skillet, leaving only about 1-2 tsp in skillet.

In a medium bowl, mix together the maple syrup, black pepper, and brown sugar. Stir until combined. Add the cooked bacon and stir until bacon is well coated.

Return the coated bacon pieces to the skillet and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes or until sugar has melted and begun to turn thick. (Note: you will need to stir the bacon pieces fairly often during this stage to prevent the sugar and maple mixture from burning.)

Remove the bacon pieces from the skillet and spread them apart on a piece of parchment paper to dry (about 4-5 minutes).