I saw this on youtube, Lan Lam from America's Test Kitchen
First bacon in the pan, add water and cook
---this step renders the fat . . . okay if she says so
Once the water has boiled off, finish frying the bacon
The bacon came out evenly cooked, crisp with a slight chew, and surprisingly nongreasy
Bacon cooking in water until water is gone, I used about 1/4-1/2 cup of water
the finished product, crispy and not greasy.
To early for PBR, so I paired it with coffee 😁
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It looks interesting. But it also looks messy, and I got my way of doing things, honed by many, many mistakes and missteps over the years.
I do my bacon in the oven, on a sheet pan lined with foil. Not only does the bacon come out better, but also cleanup is a breeze compared to other methods. Plus, I can do an entire pack of bacon all at once. It’s also easy to save the grease.
Most people say to do it at 350° for 20 minutes, but I get better results starting with a cold oven and 425°, and usually for half an hour. I’ve tried it with the bacon directly on the foil, and on a rack over the foil; directly on the foil gives me the bacon I want.
I tried microwaving… nah.
It’s okay if you need one or two pieces of bacon in a pinch, like to put in a salad. But you’re better off making all the bacon at once, and keeping it in the fridge, and when it runs out making more. Then, well, you’re never in a pinch. But microwaved bacon has a weird texture. When you want it crispy, it’s more chewy. And when you want it soft and tender, it’s just undercooked, and still chewy. It’s better to use the air fryer. But the microwave is good for a 15-30 second reheat of bacon from the fridge.
Air Fryer.
This is the common sense alternative to the microwave for a couple-three slices of bacon, assuming you have an air fryer. This gives pretty much the same result as the oven. But cleanup is a lot harder, you have to clean your air fryer insides. If you have a combi-oven you can try covering the bacon with a paper towel and using a lower heat. I got mixed results: better than microwave, not as good as the oven. But good, and a lot faster than the oven, which is sometimes an acceptable compromise.
Pan frying… many drawbacks.
First: there’s not enough space to do more than a few strips. Even with a 12” skillet, you max out at maybe half a dozen. And they need to be moved around to cook evenly.
Second: grease splatters everywhere. Even if you use a cover, when you take it off to look, or before you put it on, or when you take it off at the end, you get grease in the stovetop. A little grease, or a lot of grease, it doesn’t matter; now you gotta clean the stovetop.
Third, the bacon curls and cooks unevenly. Depending on how you like your bacon, this might be an advantage, but for me it isn’t. YMMV here.
Overall, the bacon can be good, but the oven bacon is easier and better, so why use the skillet?
Griddled… good, but more work and messier than oven cooked. Plus it takes up the whole griddle and increases overall meal cooking time: I can have the bacon cooking in the oven while I’m making the eggs and hash browns on the griddle. You can griddle a few pieces for bacon burgers, though, and continue the burgers in the bacon grease. But the reason I make all the bacon all at once is that I t’s more efficient, and the only reason I sometimes make bacon on the griddle is I love the way it looks and smells.
That’s the scoop from the Mosca kitchen. As always, you might think I’m full of sh… baloney. Of course different ways work better for different people.
I’ve tried several ways as well. The water method is good for smaller batches and it takes more time and attention. I agree the oven method is the cleanest, most trouble free, best way no matter temp, time, or wire rack. I do check on it frequently in the last 5 minutes. It sucks to burn a pan full of bacon. 😬
texastweeter I do 2 pounds of Wright’s thick cut bacon at a time, usually 15-18 slices. I COULD have been eating all of that every day for the past few years, but if I had I probably wouldn’t be here writing about it!
I think we’re all missing the boat here - Mosca ‘s bacon preparation manifesto is magnificent. It should be given to every young person upon graduation from middle school. Bravo
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I’ve never done bacon in the oven, but doesn’t the bacon splatter over the edges of the pan and down onto the heating element?…..or do you put a layer of foil under the pan? Nice commentary BTW
No, the bacon and the grease all stays on and in the rimmed baking sheet.
My oven doesn’t have exposed elements.
Even when I did have an oven with exposed elements, I use these oven liners. They go on the lowest shelf, but not directly on the floor or under the lower element (they have a max temp of 500°). You can place cookware directly on the liner as if it wasn’t there.
The liners are a game changer for oven cleaning. They’re non-stick: if you get a spill, you can just wipe it off, or clean it with dish soap; charred drips just peel right off.
I get the liners in packs of 3. By the time I’m done with the last one, I don’t remember where I got them, how long ago, or what I paid. So, that means three liners last a long time!
We've tried cooking bacon all sorts of ways over the years, including the techniques mentioned here, and we just end up doing on the stove in a square pan. Pour off grease as it renders, save in jar. We must be Neanderthals.
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@bbqLuv So I tried this today. Got tender crispy bacon in which all the salt and flavor leeched out of the meat. Well cooked and bland. Oh will, it was worth the experiment. I think I'll just put a bit of water in the pan, rehydrate the leftover fat, and saute some green beans in it.
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