Cooking Perfect Bacon

[Roll_Bones]

But 15-20 minutes to fry a rasher of bacon? And add on the oven heating up time - that's one expensive bacon butty.
Actually, I grill, (sorry, broil) my bacon. Quick, crisp as you like and healthier (less fat).

Its a toss up. Turn on the oven or turn on the burner. Its electricity being consumed either way.
I don't mind paying for something that makes my life easier. Kinda like heat and AC. They are expensive, but I like to have both.
Satellite too. Where does one draw the like on expenses?
My oven is the very least of my concern.

We use thick cut bacon and I guess thats why the 15 -20 minute cook time.
At 350, there is little spatter and the bacon just sizzles away.
The bacon we get is very very lean. Costco thick cut. Its almost as lean as ham. Almost!

Oh....We sometimes use a flat rack and the toaster/convection oven. Either way is fine for us.

 

[GB]

Here is the iPhone bacon thing i was talking about...
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/your-iphone-can-now-wake-you-up-with-the-smell-of-bacon-78670253114.html

 

[taxlady]

Here is the iPhone bacon thing i was talking about...
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/your-iphone-can-now-wake-you-up-with-the-smell-of-bacon-78670253114.html

Oh dear!

 

[msmofet]

I'm sure that when bacon shrinks it just loses some fat and gets slightly thicker. If it doesn't shrink, it will be thinner.

I found the fat

My bacon fat can lives in my fridge too.

It lives ON my can

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I found the fat



It lives ON my can

I find the bacon fat and lemon meringue pie are battling for dominance on my can.

 

[taxlady]

I find the bacon fat and lemon meringue pie are battling for dominance on my can.

Oh! That kind of can. Haven't heard that expression in years.

 

[msmofet]

I find the bacon fat and lemon meringue pie are battling for dominance on my can.

OH YEAH!! Homemade lemon meringue rocks!!

Oh! That kind of can. Haven't heard that expression in years.

LOL Booty can!

 

[CWS4322]

FWIW, there are restaurant chains that buy pre-cooked bacon. It comes frozen and is popped in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Comes out flat. That is what is served on bacon cheeseburgers and for Canadians, that is what is served on any sandwich you get at Timmie's that comes with bacon.

 

[tinlizzie]

The other day I bought a package of Oscar Mayer Selects -- "Smoked Uncured Bacon; No Nitrates or Nitrites Added except those naturally occurring in celery juice."

Is it possible that this is a more healthful choice for bacon? I couldn't tell any difference in texture or taste, just price.

One warning on frying bacon though: Do not fry it at breakfast time. I ended up eating a couple of slices at breakfast, made a BLT for lunch, and later on made bacon & eggs in the frying pan. I couldn't help myself. mmmmmm. The package didn't go far; it was only 12 ounces to begin with.

 

[GotGarlic]

The other day I bought a package of Oscar Mayer Selects -- "Smoked Uncured Bacon; No Nitrates or Nitrites Added except those naturally occurring in celery juice."

Is it possible that this is a more healthful choice for bacon? I couldn't tell any difference in texture or taste, just price...

It depends on who you choose to believe I like bacon, so I believe Michael Ruhlman: http://ruhlman.com/2011/05/the-no-nitrites-added-hoax/

 

[taxlady]

It depends on who you choose to believe I like bacon, so I believe Michael Ruhlman: The ?No Nitrites Added? Hoax | Michael Ruhlman

Yeah, uncured bacon? Is it even bacon if it isn't cured?

I do wonder if the naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites are the same or just similar to the ones used in curing meat.

 

[Dawgluver]

It depends on who you choose to believe I like bacon, so I believe Michael Ruhlman: http://ruhlman.com/2011/05/the-no-nitrites-added-hoax/

Interesting article, GG.

With or without nitrates/nitrites, bacon good.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Bacon...yup, it always sounds good.

 

[cave76]

My stove has this cool button. press it and the oven cleans itself. Easy peasy.

Are the newer self cleaning ovens safer to use than the older models?

 

[Andy M.]

Are the newer self cleaning ovens safer to use than the older models?

I assume they are safe. I've been using a self-cleaning oven since the 70s without incident.

 

[cave76]

I assume they are safe. I've been using a self-cleaning oven since the 70s without incident.

The reason I ask is when they first came out people were warned to leave the house and take any birds, animals with them.

I used one several times when we had one and loved it---- but always left the house and put animals outside too.

I assume they make them safer now because of the bad press back then.

 

[Andy M.]

The reason I ask is when they first came out people were warned to leave the house and take any birds, animals with them.

I used one several times when we had one and loved it---- but always left the house and put animals outside too.

I assume they make them safer now because of the bad press back then.

Never heard any of that and always stayed in the house when the oven was self-cleaning.

So the warning was to put out the animals but not the humans...

 

[FrankZ]

Sodium Nitrate is sodium nitrate. Sodium nitrite is sodium nitrite. It matters not the source.

 

[Caslon]

I buy Oscar Mayer Center Cut bacon, cut the package in half and freeze it until needed. Some bacon brands seem to curl more than others.

 

[GotGarlic]

Yeah, uncured bacon? Is it even bacon if it isn't cured?

From the article:

Bacon is one of the greatest foods on the planet, but the food marketers are going to figure out a way to make you buy their bacon. So what they do is use celery powder and celery juice (note the asterisk on the label above) as their nitrate source (celery is loaded with nitrate) and are therefore are allowed to say no nitrites added. Why go to the trouble? Because we don’t know any better. Can we really be this stupid? I have only one word to say on this beyond an emphatic yes.

And

Callout Comment: Elise Bauer responds: “The thing that irks me is the “no added nitrites or nitrates” as if the fact that they’re adding celery powder means nothing. Or “uncured” even though they are obviously “curing” with celery powder. It is false, misleading, and playing off of people’s food fears to market their cured product that is loaded with nitrates. When I saw a bright pink slab of corned beef for sale at TJ’s, marketed as “uncured” I knew there was a problem.”

The nitrates in the celery cure the bacon.