How do you cook your Bacon?

[Doc]

I love bacon. I can't eat it very often but I do think about how mouthwatering it is. I ran across this blurb and it made me wonder if frying is the best way to cook your bacon or is the creator of this pic off their rocker? Seems crazy to get it wet before cooking but ...what do I know? So, I'm asking the experts. What say you?

[Leni]

I always cook it in my cast iron skillet. I'll put it in there when I turn on the burner on low. Never had a problem that way.

[QSis]

If I'm just doing six or so slices, I cook it in a frying pan.

If I'm cooking a pound, I put it on racks over foiled cooking sheets in the oven. I do it at 350 for 20 -25 minutes, but I will definitely try the 360 for 10 minutes.

Lee

[Leni]

Let me know if you think that is a better way.

[joec]

I also cook it in a cast iron frying pan but have had it oven and microwaved also made by others. I like the oven as it came out crisp but hated the microwaved. I still prefer my old cast iron pan though.

[Shermie]

So do I.

I also use a grill press to hold down the bacon while it is cooking, so that shrinkage is reduced.

I sometimes cook it in the oven, especially when I do scallops wrapped with bacon. But instead of cooking the bacon fully, I cook it half way so that it is still flexible enough to wrap & pin around the scallops.

[Shermie]

Here's the grill press that I use for the bacon.

[Shermie]

I also use low-sodium & maple flavored bacon.

If the bacon is the regular thick slice one, then I parboil it to get out some of the salt so that it is not overly salty.

[ChowderMan]

why does no one make/sell a round bacon press?
what % of frying pans are round?

oops. got all too logical there....

for 2 pipples & coupla' strips each I do in a pan
for one pig fat desperate breakfaster I do between a folded paper towel in the microwqave.

if I've got the griddle out for pancakes, bacon gets done there. saves me bunches of $$ on lightly oiling the griddle (giggle . . . )

done "right" in a microwave, it's tough for me to say it's not as good as any other method. doing it "right" for me means three passes - first on 50% for 60 seconds to "warm it up" - rest for a minute or so - then a second pass at 80% for 2 minutes to 'cook' it - and a rest for about a minute - then the third pass at 100% for 50-80 seconds to make it crisp. doesn't 'especially' brown it, but it does crisp it with pretty much all the fat rendered out.

microwave power, etc., will affect timing and % settings....

[Leni]

I hate the microwaved. The texture is awful. I've never had it baked in the oven.

[luvs]

if cooking here, i'll use a calphalon or lodge skillet. when in an industrial setting, we use sheet trays/ovens most often, tho--

[QSis]

Originally Posted by Leni

I hate the microwaved. The texture is awful. I've never had it baked in the oven.

Leni, if you want it crispy, you bake it until it's crispy.

The photo below was cooked on my smoker, but my oven bacon looks like that when I bake it all the way to crisp.

Usually, I bake it less, so it's still a bit limp. Then I nuke a few slices at a time when I go to make a BLT, and it crisps the rest of the way up (pardon the grammar).

Lee

[Doc]

Thanks all. I had never used the oven for bacon either.

So what about the idea of running cold water over it first? Anyone try that?

[joec]

Originally Posted by Doc

Thanks all. I had never used the oven for bacon either.

So what about the idea of running cold water over it first? Anyone try that?

Perhaps getting it wet will add more moisture, which might help cut down the shrinkage. Really just a guess though.

[Shermie]

Originally Posted by Doc

Thanks all. I had never used the oven for bacon either.

So what about the idea of running cold water over it first? Anyone try that?

You welcome, Doc!

[QSis]

I'm bumping this up since I recently baked a pound of bacon in the oven, and took pictures this time!

There are usually 16 slices in a one-pound package of regular-sliced bacon. I put eight slices on each of two racks, over foiled cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour.

Excellent way to cook a lot of bacon at once. Nuke a few slices as needed.

Lee

I'm a big fan of the oven method. Nice and easy, do a whole package at a time, and best of all... no grease splattering all over the stove.

[Shermie]

Originally Posted by Doc

I love bacon. I can't eat it very often but I do think about how mouthwatering it is. I ran across this blurb and it made me wonder if frying is the best way to cook your bacon or is the creator of this pic off their rocker? Seems crazy to get it wet before cooking but ...what do I know? So, I'm asking the experts. What say you?

I usually like to cook bacon low & slow on the stove in a skillet - about medium low.

I found that doing it THIS way helps reduce shrinkage, as well as it helping to eliminate overcooking or burning!

Here's a pic of the scallops wrapped in bacon.

[Adillo303]

1) Love the bacon wrapped Scallops. That is how I do them as well.
2) frying pan for small lots and cut up bacon.
3) Oven to make a pound, It just works great
4) relative newcomer - The charcoal grill.

I was doing burgers the other weekend and before the burgers went on I spread a pound of thick sliced bacon on the grill, made sure to turn it often and set it aside when cooked for Bacon Cheeseburgers. The guests loved it and the charcoal flavor was great.

Andy

[QSis]

I love the ease of baking a pound of bacon in the oven.

BUT .....

Frying a few pieces in a cast-iron skillet cannot be beat! SO good!

I just cooked 6 slices.

Lee

[bigjim]

I generally cook up to 5 slices on a 2 burner CI flat top grille with a square CI skillet for a press. Always on the lowest possible heat.

Recently I was faced with cooking 20 pounds of bacon along with 20 pounds of sausage patties. Obviously 5 at a time on low would not work, so I baked it on cookie sheets in the oven and did the sausage on the flat top. It worked really well.

[ChowderMan]

I bought some Hahn's bacon. from what I can gather to-date, they only sell it at their store on the north outskirts of Westminster, MD

it's stellar - tastes great, cooks up better, does not do the shrink&curl hula dance, yadda yadda. it is a "dry cure" versus the typical commercial 'keeping injecting it with something until it's cured' routines....

since the store is about two hours drive round trip.... been testing local butchers - the places that have it sliced on a half sheet pan under glass..... some are pretty close - all are better than the big names.

I prefer to cook it on a griddle - the strips are usually 1-2" longer that my fry pans are round - and that puts me in the cook one end at a time routine....ugh.

[Johnny West]

I have several favorite bacon's sold in the NW - Hempler and Falls City from Idaho but mostly get Hempler. I'd love to find some meaty slabs but they are rarely seen any more.

I fry in a cast iron skillet or chicken fryer mostly. I've tried the boiling method but it takes longer and can't tell the difference in texture to make that big of difference. I've got a press I bought at a garage sale in the early 80's but never use it. I'm a limp bacon person... now am hungry for bacon and have none left after the big fry up Saturday night.

Boiling methode in a dutch oven....

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[Johnny West]

Tonight it's pan fried and will be part of the hash. I use the Joy of Cooking recipe with a few twists of my own.

This bacon is Falls Brand from Idaho Falls and just excellent.

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[jj1252]

I know some people swear by frying it in a pan, and I used to do that (low heat, turn regularly), I started backing it in the oven on the suggestion of a friend and I now swear by baking bacon in the oven.

I prefer to cook it at 400 F for about 18 minutes. Although if I need to cook it longer because I am trying to time out other things in the kitchen, I keep the heat lower.