Whether breakfast, lunch, or diner, it’s hard to beat the delicious flavor of bacon. People enjoy it with scrambled eggs and toast, as a BLT, or wrapped around a stuffed chicken breast. As such a versatile ingredient, there’s so much you can do with it.
Crispy,…not limp
Although a small number of people prefer to eat limp bacon, the majority like it super crisp. For some reason, that enhances the overall flavor. While some people don’t think it matters, it does.
Frying it
If you were to ask 100 people how they cook bacon, probably all of them would say they fry it. But if you’ve ever done that, you know you have to turn it often and, in the process, avoid painful grease spatters. The other issue, even with a large skillet, you can only cook so many strips of bacon at a time.
Crispy but not perfect
Sure, if you fry bacon, you can get it nice and crispy. But even then, there are usually areas that aren’t fully cooked. Or you cook it so long that it begins to curl on the ends. If you’re also looking for a good presentation along with flavor, frying simply won’t work.
Insight from a professional
Someone who’s a Master Chef knows what they’re doing. Being fully trained, they know they understand there’s a right and wrong way to do things. As far as bacon goes, one chef advises people to stop frying it. Instead, bake it.
Baked bacon?
That’s right. And after you’ve cooked it this way, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t done it before. For one thing, it’s incredibly easy. But baking bacon as opposed to frying also allows you to cook more strips at once. If you have a large family, that’s ideal.
How do you do it?
Using a large oven dish, lay bacon strips flat and right up next to each other but without overlapping. As the bacon cooks, it won’t curl. But better yet, because the heat source is even across the entire dish, every strip comes out completely cooked, flat, and crispy.
Restaurant owners
This particular Master Chef’s name is Adam. He and his wife, Jackie, co-own The Country Cat. Since they’re both amazingly talented chefs, they have the opportunity to share ideas and support one another. They’re also co-authors of Portland’s Heartlandia: Heritage Recipes cookbook.
Cooking in bulk
Since bacon is on the menu at their restaurant and they serve a large number of customers, they know a thing or two about cooking in bulk. But along with his tips on how to cook bacon so it’s always crispy, he shares some more insight.
Buy the right type of bacon
Adam explains that you should avoid buying bacon made with liquid smoke and corn syrup. The reason is those two ingredients change both quality and flavor. He recommends bacon that’s been cured with sugar, spice, and salt. And if possible, buy a product that’s cured for a minimum of five days.
The secret’s out
If you want to impress special guests or even your family members, follow Adam’s advice. Start with the right kind of bacon and instead of frying it, bake it. Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line your baking dish with parchment paper, and cook it until it’s crispy.
Once you use this method, you’ll never go back. Whether you share your secret with others is completely up to you.
