Bacon

[yondering]

Ok, this may seem a little simplistic, but I want to learn how to fry up bacon right. Talking about strips of bacon here, not pork roast or lunchmeat. I've had it a few times where the fat just crumbles/melts in your mouth, but haven't been able to cook it that way myself.

I fry it in a skillet over medium heat, flipping it over 1 or 2 times during cooking. Seems like it goes from being chewy, to hard and brittle, with no in-between. What am I doing wrong?

[hoosierlogger]

Try a bacon press. They will keep it flat so all parts of the bacon are in contact with the skillet at all times. it cooks more evenly and faster, plus you can stack more of it on a sandwich when its flat.

I use a cast iron skillet, and I might add it turns out good for me. SWMBO hates the cast iron and swears it is against her, as she cannot get bacon right in it.

[Lee W]

I hate to say it, but the best way to cook bacon like you described it to bake it. I am having BLTs tonight and I baked the bacon at 350f for 40 minutes.
Perfect.

[10-x]

+1 for Lees method. Fried it in all kinds of frying pans for years, then the wife heard about baking it in the oven, try it you'll like it

[square butte]

Cook on the upper end of a low heat. Turn often. The closer it is to the color you want it - turn it more often than in the beginning. Rotate position in skillet. (most skillets and burners have a hot spot) Be prepared to take some time - about half an hour. Remove when done and place on a paper towel to drain. My wife calls me the bacon miester. This method almost never fails me. Every package of bacon cooks a bit differently.

[dominicfortune00]

When I cook bacon, I do it in a teflon lined skillet on a gas range.

I put the bacon in the pan and cook over medium low heat until there are tiny white bubbles around the bacon.

I then turn the bacon over, cook until I see the tiny white bubbles again, and it's done.

Remove from pan and put on paper towels to drain.

Cooking it this way makes bacon that my daughter calls juicy.

A good way to do it is in a convection oven, it makes it easier to see the tiny white bubbles.

[yondering]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I've been cooking it too hot/fast, it's done in about 10 minutes.

I'll try the oven idea. Do you guys wrap the bacon in aluminum foil in the oven, or just lay it out on a pan? Seems like I heard about usin aluminum foil somewhere, but I'm not sure.

I saw the little white bubbles last time I cooked bacon, but kept going too long I guess.

[MT Gianni]

When you get it right look for Cottage Bacon. It will make the best BLT's in the world.

[Bodydoc447]

Alton Brown of TV's Good Eats also recommended the baking method. He put his bacon on a cooling rack and the rack in a sheet pan to catch the fat drippings. My wife often uses a microwave thingy (looks like a skillet/griddle with ridges) and it comes out okay.

Doc

[scrapcan]

bake it or put it in the pan and put it on the grill in a pan. Yep you can use the grill as an oven and it turns out great and then there are no complaints about the house smelling like cold bacon grease for three days.

When the bacon is done you can cook your eggs in the hot cast iron pan on the grill, mos tof hte time you do not even need to have the fire on. And before you are all done soak that piece of toast you toasted ont eh top grate in the drippings.

Boy that was not a very healthy set of instructions was it? The grill does work great though.

[dominicfortune00]

Alton Brown of TV's Good Eats also recommended the baking method. He put his bacon on a cooling rack and the rack in a sheet pan to catch the fat drippings.

Yes he does.

He also has a recipe to make your own bacon on Food Network.com

I want to try it when I get the time and can find some pork bellies.

[dominicfortune00]

Watched the season premere of Good Eats tonight, and Alton Brown cooked bacon in a round waffle maker.

Go figure!!

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

I also use to bake it . . . 300 degrees for an hour . . . don't eat it anymore . . .

[rugerman1]

Fry bacon in as much grease as it takes to submerge it and use a bacon press to hold it down as close to flat as possible.

[OutHuntn84]

I have to agree with hoosier, Noth'n cooks Noth'n like a cast iron skillet. Plus every restaurant I know uses a bacon press when fry'n bacon.

[WickedGoodOutdoors]

Nukulate your Bacon beween white paper towles in the Microwave for a few mins until crispy.

It cooks all the grease out of it and makes it crispy. Youll never want it any other way

[mold maker]

Have ya ever fried bacon and eggs in a brown paper bag, over a camp fire????

[fatnhappy]

Fry bacon in as much grease as it takes to submerge it and use a bacon press to hold it down as close to flat as possible.

Rugerman is almost there. I fry it in a cast iron skillet full of lard (aka ersatz butter.) Deep fying it in lard doesn't require a bacon press.
When I'm done the lard goes back in the tupperware into the fridge. At any given time I have about a gallon of bacon grease handy for cooking the next batch.

[markinalpine]

From You-Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4NQ2qZmthE

"Chicken Fried Bacon"

I know, this isn't about just cooking bacon in the home, but I enjoy this video.

Mark

[OutHuntn84]

Have ya ever fried bacon and eggs in a brown paper bag, over a camp fire????

Do Tell?