# Favorite/Best Way to Cook Bacon?



## MJR12284 (Jun 21, 2020)

What's your favorite/best way to cook bacon? Grill pan? Frying pan? Oven? What are your best cookware and gadgets for doing so?

Where do you fall on this scale?


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

We bake it in the oven. It's easier cleanup and can do the whole pack at once. 
Clearly, number 4 is cooked to perfection


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Oven bacon is nice and uniform. I sometimes use the microwave if I only need a few pieces. I also buy the big bags of precooked bacon from Sam's Club sometimes - it's overpriced, but nice and quick for things like sandwiches.

ETA: #3 except for the uncooked bottom end.


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## ocean-front (Jun 21, 2020)

Oven is the best,Lined cookie sheet pan with a stainless cooling rack.#3 for another min or so, agree with @WARE on the end.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Oven is good for a crowd, but I like to pan fry it.

Stainless steel pan. Place the bacon in a single layer. Cover with water, yes water so it renders the fat. Medium heat until the water evaporates, then to low. Let it fry at low heat and then turn once. Pull out and let it cool a bit. Crispy and crunchy goodness.

Between 3 and 4.

It is the way.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Well, first you take the turkey bacon........

Kidding. Griddle for me. Mine isn't in those pictures. Its picture can't be taken.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Turkey bacon is better than tofu bacon.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

g-man said:


> Turkey bacon is better than tofu bacon.


Good point.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Mine isn't in those pictures. Its picture can't be taken.


LOL!

I also pan fry it, in a cast iron skillet with a bacon press.

From the scale, I aim for 4.5.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

Does anybody else eat it just plain smoked, or is it just us crazy Eastern Europeans? We fry it as well for breakfasts, etc.. but for a cold lunch or snack we eat it looking like #1 above, together with some fresh tomatoes-on-the-vine, some raw sweet onion and/or chives, cheese, Greek olives, and a fresh baguette!

Damn, I just made myself nostalgic. And hungry!


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## ocean-front (Jun 21, 2020)

Corneliani,do you deliver?Im hungry too.


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## MJR12284 (Jun 21, 2020)

I favor a frying pan as well. I never seem to get it as crispy as I like it when done in the oven. Be been looking into getting a good griddle to fry it on the stovetop. You can get so much more done that way much quicker than a normal frying pan. Anyone got a large griddle they like?


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## stevehollx (Apr 8, 2020)

3.5 for me. Cooked in an iron skillet with a bacon press. I look for when the white fat starts to golden and pull it. We like bacon with a slight chew just before it crisps.

Saving the bacon fat is key, especially for the bacon that is extra smoky.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

ocean-front said:


> Corneliani,do you deliver?Im hungry too.


:lol:


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

When cooking in the oven what temp and time do you use?


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

Gilley11 said:


> When cooking in the oven what temp and time do you use?


My wife sets the oven at 375 for around 15 minutes for the thick-cut Hormel BlackLabel that she prefers. The thinner cuts should require around 12-13 minutes +/-, but keep an eye on it so you get it the way you like it. With the price of bacon lately you don't want to mess it up 
Btw we generally just use a baking sheet lined with foil (helps with cleanup) and it requires turning halfway. We wrap them in some paper towel to soak up excess fat. You can also set it on a rack for cleaner/drier results.


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## bhutchinson87 (Jun 25, 2018)

Bacon #4 in the oven is the best way. It's literally in the name bake-uhn. On a rack over a lined pan with the oven set to convection bake.


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## Lust4Lawn (Aug 4, 2020)

I put mine on my gas grill. The whole neighborhood gets hungry!


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I'm a fan of 3.5-4 and usually do it in the microwave just because it's fast and easy but sometimes it's hard to get the bacon just right. Other wise we will fry it in a cast iron pan. Thinking of getting a cast iron griddle for stuff like this.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

More expensive than a cast iron, but it has better heat distribution and serves as a pizza stone too.

https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collections/griddles

You can make your own if you find an industrial place that sells A36 steel in 3/8in plates. Clean them and make a groove if you have an end mill.


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## jal (May 30, 2020)

4 is the correct answer.

I've tried many different cooking methods, and for a large volume the oven can't be beat. 


Gilley11 said:


> When cooking in the oven what temp and time do you use?


We buy thick cut applewood smoked bacon from Costco, and it cooks at 400 deg (375 convect actually) for 25-30 minutes.


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## Burnie (Jun 13, 2020)

In a fry pan, 
cooked to around 3.5, 
4 is a little too done, 
5 & 6 are burnt.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Burnie said:


> In a fry pan,
> cooked to around 3.5,
> 4 is a little too done,
> 5 & 6 are burnt.


So you don't like to burnie them?


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Also look for Dry cure bacon if you want to minimize any splattering and mess.


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## PhxHeat (Oct 18, 2019)

#: 4 .....
Oven
Cookie sheet with parchment paper

set oven to 400° convect/roast, put
bacon in asap while heating, set timer
for 25 mins. I tend to buy the thicker
sliced from various grocery meat
counters. I like a bacon with some
crunchy bits, a meaty chew, and where
the fat is cooked to point of it no longer
being "fatty chewy" but not yet to the
point where it gets crunchy. When you
get "that" bite and it has a crisp to it but sort of melts ... mmmm nom nom nom.
Oh and imo, bacon is perfect when it can
be held horizontaly from 1 end between thumb and index finger and "meats" the
critera above. :ugeek:


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## Babaganoosh (Apr 21, 2019)

You want really good bacon? Now if you are one of those people who likes their bacon crispy and dark stop reading. That's no longer bacon. It's overcooked and might I say burnt. Garbage I say.

Get a cookie sheet and a wire rack. Set the oven to.... 250. Yes you read that right. 250. Low and slow. Put the bacon on the rack and cookie sheet so the fat that slowly renders out can drip away from the actual bacon. Now place it in the oven for approximately two hours. Yup. Two hours I kid you not. What you pull out of the oven two hours later will be the best bacon you've ever had.

Cooking it low and slow breaks down the collagen in the meat and allows the fat to introduce itself into the actual meat. Cooking it at a higher temperature just melts the fat right off. Even if you cook it in a pan it's not really being introduced back into the meat.

Try it sometime, it's a night and day difference. If you have the time that is. I actually just cured and smoked 10 pounds of bacon last week. Half maple and brown sugar and half I experimented with sirachi.

This is after I ran the sirachi piece thru the slicer.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Babaganoosh said:


> You want really good bacon? Now if you are one of those people who likes their bacon crispy and dark stop reading. That's no longer bacon. It's overcooked and might I say burnt. Garbage I say.
> 
> Get a cookie sheet and a wire rack. Set the oven to.... 250. Yes you read that right. 250. Low and slow. Put the bacon on the rack and cookie sheet so the fat that slowly renders out can drip away from the actual bacon. Now place it in the oven for approximately two hours. Yup. Two hours I kid you not. What you pull out of the oven two hours later will be the best bacon you've ever had.
> 
> ...


Now I'm hungry.... :lol: :thumbup:

I wanna try that Sirachi!


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

Yep, gotta try low and slow bacon this weekend.


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## CLT49er (Jun 19, 2020)

For those smoking bacon, what do you suggest? Uncut slab or any grocery store bacon will do?

Have only smoked bacon wrapped jalepenos and they were awesome!


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## Tjstampa (Nov 16, 2020)

I like 3.5. My favorite way is in a cast iron skillet over a camp fire. Since I can't do that very often anymore we usually bake it in the oven. For quick jobs in the microwave.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I seasoned my WSM smoker with cheap, fatty bacon. Sealed everything pretty nicely from the fat splatter and was delicious.


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## Babaganoosh (Apr 21, 2019)

CLT49er said:


> For those smoking bacon, what do you suggest? Uncut slab or any grocery store bacon will do?
> 
> Have only smoked bacon wrapped jalepenos and they were awesome!


You can smoke/cook individual slices but if you are making bacon then obviously a pork belly would be needed. I personally wouldn't buy a precured slab to smoke.


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## Burnie (Jun 13, 2020)

Babaganoosh said:


> You want really good bacon? Now if you are one of those people who likes their bacon crispy and dark stop reading. That's no longer bacon. It's overcooked and might I say burnt. Garbage I say.
> 
> Get a cookie sheet and a wire rack. Set the oven to.... 250. Yes you read that right. 250. Low and slow. Put the bacon on the rack and cookie sheet so the fat that slowly renders out can drip away from the actual bacon. Now place it in the oven for approximately two hours. Yup. Two hours I kid you not. What you pull out of the oven two hours later will be the best bacon you've ever had.
> 
> ...


Well I gave this a try this morning, baked 7 strips of thick cut apple wood bacon at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Really good and so tender. Had it on a hamburger for lunch. I like it cooked this way, but it takes too long for an every day thing with breakfast. I still have some left and am going to do some tomato & bacon on toast the next couple of days. I'll do it low & slow now and again for a treat, but not real often due to the time involved.


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

Slow cooked bacon gets my highest rating. It makes even the fatty parts delicious.

We picked up a couple pounds of thick cut from the local butcher. This is the first pound. Cooked 2.25 hours at 225 in the convection oven.


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