Bacon is so good even some vegetarians cheat with it. Can we make it better? As a breakfast meat, it can't be beat. And BLTs ain't too shabby either.
The time honored method of cooking it in a skillet works but has its flaws. Crispy bits are great but not if the whole thing is too crispy that it has the texture of a cracker more than a piece of meat. Less crispy bacon leaves the fat too chewy and also comes with the risk of undercooking the pork.
Getting the timing just right to get a great slice of bacon is something that comes with experience but for those who don't make it every day, it's somewhat of a conundrum. I tend to overcook bacon in a pan, myself.
How can we make it better?
A cooking method that has seen increasing popularity in recent years is sous vide. This is sealing, often with a vacuum, your raw food in a plastic bag or pouch and slow cooking it in water kept at a specific temperature heated by a sous vide precision cooker. The great thing about bacon is that it already comes in a vacuum sealed pouch!
Thicker cut bacon is recommended if you want more meaty tenderness. Slow cooking the bacon is done overnight, to be ready by breakfast time. Set the temperature to 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) (or in the neighborhood :P) and drop the bacon package in.
Let it cook overnight and in the morning you'll wake up to a slow cooked package of tender bacon. Much of the fat will have rendered out, so cut the pouch open and drain it. You could actually eat it right there, but the texture is weird and it will look raw still.
So it's time to finish it. Here's another twist, the Searzall. This modern kitchen toy uses flammable gas burning combined with an infrared-providing mesh grill to give a nice sear on anything that needs a high-temperature singing.
Put some bacon slices in a large cast iron or stainless steel pan. Don't use a nonstick pan. Apply the lit Searzall evenly to the bacon slices, getting just a bit of crispy char, or to your desired doneness.
Optionally you can do this while cooking the underside of the bacon with the range (get the pan hot first though!). But keeping one side tender, not crisped, and yet still cooked is something to try.
After Searzalling:
At this point your bacon is tender and juicy on one side and crispy and browned on the other. It makes for a really fresh take on a breakfast staple.
If you don't have a Searzall but have a sous vide machine, no problem. Using a hot pan or griddle to finish it with a bit of crispness also makes for a great bacon.
And of course, eat and enjoy! I'd love to hear your questions or comments.
I don't have any special tools like what you have. It does sound interesting. I don't like flipping over the strips much either. I found out about how people like to bake their bacon. So I just googled baking bacon. So at 400 degrees I put the bacon on a glass baking dish. It says 15 to 20 minutes. I'm afraid of under cooking pork so I go the 20 minutes. I set the timer on my phone and it is so easy to me. Now I always bake the bacon.
I take bacon however I can get it. I must say though, baking is my favorite method of preparation.
Yes food-trail, anyway I can get bacon if someone else cooks it. I'm only baking it when I'm cooking. I didn't even eat bacon for a long time until I found out about the ketogenic diet of eating more fat and less of the carbs. Now bacon is back on my shopping list.
I find it hard to eat eggs without bacon
Yes phamark, I do like eggs with bacon. Sometime though if I don't have any eggs at the time I'll just do the bacon as a snack.
Welcome to Steem! Sous vide circulators are getting cheaper now. They're more within reach, and can do things that ovens or slow cookers can't quite do. They're nice for making really great meat dishes.
Thanks pfunk. I really don't know too much of how this Steem thing works, but I always like telling stories. I'll have to look into those circulators. Still looks a little complex for me. I like cooking the easiest way I can get it.
I've been doing a vegetarian thing the last couple of weeks, but when I do make bacon, I usually just bake it at a low temperature (300ish) for 30 or so minutes. It's perfect every time. I wouldn't mind trying this method but it does require some extra tools.
Does "making bacon" mean something different on your planet? These were not the images I was looking for.
I always assumed the balance between light and dark bacon was the force at play.
This sounds amazing!! I would love to try it if I had the tools! I like that it can be done ahead of time. I have always baked bacon in the oven and that seems to be a clean, no-hassle way to make it. I can get it done while cooking the rest of breakfast. It seems to drain quite a bit of the fat off as well. 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flip the pan, then 8 more minutes. Easy, simple, and if you use tin foil on the bottom of the pan, clean up is a snap!
I just want abs...
...olutely all the bacon
I would recommend the use of the NuWave Oven. A bit less messy than the old frying pan, you can cook it on a standard kitchen counter top, and the bacon produced is a crispy and delicious as they come. Shill over, but legit, the NuWave cooks some fantastic bacon.
I've never heard of the NuWave Oven but it sounds like something I need to check out.
The only way to make it better is to put a scoop of ice cream on it
Hahaha well now that the idea is in my head somewhere, it might be tried at some point.
I like to cook my bacon in the oven. It makes nice flats strips and also lets me keep an eye on it. It's pretty great.
To each their own of course. I admit I have not given oven-cooked bacon a fair shake yet
Nice, hadn't thought of sous viding it. We mostly just chuck it in the oven for 8-10 minutes and get to gnoshing! The big issue we have with most bacon is how much dang sugar is in it; you really have to watch ingredients and make sure you're not eating "candy" when you think you're eating meat. Enjoy!
Interesting way to cook it with some kind of infra-red lamp. So, in theory, I guess could put it out in the sun in the heat of summer and works the same maybe
It's not solely infrared. It's also pumping out hot firey gases from burning butane. But the screen helps even out and recycle some of the heat.
Bacon is best when cooked in a pan, crispy with most of the fat cooked away!
I like mine cooked in a pan but I actually think I prefer baking it because it seems less greasy, and still remains crispy.
I still like a little tenderness in mine, but don't want uncooked meat either
This made me hungry.
:D
I haven't eaten dinner so all these methods sound amazing. Since my girlfriend and I are into cooking we might have to try these methods.
Haha well the worst part about it is you have to plan ahead with the sous vide.
Why do we cook bacon and bake cookies?
Who cares I eat both
haha try them together ;)
This is the first time I heard this method of preparing bacon. Interesting. I will resteemed so I can check back on it.
Appreciated!
if Bacon is beaten pork,what's Hotdogs made off?this is a honest question cos have not gotten anyone to tell me and pls don't send me to google,We are Steemizens😊
Hotdogs are... the rest. Ever wonder where the animals' genitalia go?
Sous vide bacon.. It sound silly and funny but I gotta tell it's absolute genius. Mama Mia!
Doing it sous vide is a little food adventure. It's not exciting until you eat it though :)
Owh my gosh.. I can totally imagine how delightful eating it is like.
You had me at bacon
that bacon looks like some super good eating...yikes!! :)
Oh and it is.
Improving bacon is a holy calling. Like alcohol brewing/distilling out coffee roasting/brewing.
I am so glad there was a searing at the end, now if only there was a charred scotch bonnet in there with it! :OD
All flavor enhancement is up to taste but hell yeah, that'd make for some interesting bacon!
Absolute genius. Going to have to give this a try for sure!
Awesome!
where is sriracha ketchup?!
Ketchup with eggs and bacon! You've issues @kingscrown
Right.. Beer needs to be there too!
All gone!
Getting hungry :D Love it!
Mission: accomplished
That a new one on me.....will be looking at trying this one out
Great! Welcome to Steem too.
Congratulations @pfunk!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following categories:
Craving for bacon 😄....now following
yummy :)
Great post but as a vegetarian I can assure you that bacon is one of the things I least desire to consume- and I used to love it! The thick German Black Forest variety was my poison. But any more it would make me vomit- literally. LOL- but to each their own.
I will pray for you that you come back to the fold and be able to enjoy bacon again
Thanks! Haha yes, I know it's not all veg-heads but some definitely are cheaters when it comes to bacon.
Bacon....one of my favorites!
Bacon's good in any way, shape, or form! 🥓
Agreed*
*except raw
Right, Bacon sushi is no good. : )
Who doesn't love bacon? We make our own bacon at home because we want to keep the crap out of our food. Here in the USofA, pigs are fed all kinds of crap, and lots of GMO corn. So we buy pork bellies from a reliable source, brine and smoke with mesquite ourselves. I just cant buy anything at the store that tastes so good.
Your method is very interesting, but I would be concerned about any chemicals that may be released from the plastic into the bacon by the heat.
Just something to think about.
i see you have some super weapons over there to deal with bacon stripes! i just put in on grill over and it goes full crispy with the most of bad fats gone away!
Crispy bits of bacon are my weakness!
Good! I need to try to do it same way!
Now that's a breakkie after my own heart....
Good ideas with bacon. I like bacon. I do not want to eat too much bacon. I want to be as healthy as possible. I do not want to eat too much meat. I love the fish more than bacon but bacon can be very good too. We should make bacon great again. Thanks for the post and for the photos. I love to eat and I might become a fat cute man with an Asian wife. I am a fan of bacon and eggs. Take care.
Wow !
Loooks yummy !
Mouth warering .
You have a cooking experience, and this recipe can be a reference for anyone.Thanks for sharing..