Bacon--Fry, Bake, Microwave or Grill?

[wendydk]

We serve thick-sliced peppered bacon. DW does it in the oven and it turns out perfectly everytime..

We serve thick-sliced peppered bacon. DW does it in the oven and it turns out perfectly everytime.

That's what we did too, altho David also dredged in flour (and sometimes a little brown sugar) before baking and peppering. It was called "West Virginia Baked Bacon", altho I don't know why exactly. Guests raved about it, and there was no unusual mess in the prep or cooking.
Since nearly all of our main and side dishes were baked, it just made sense to bake the bacon.

 

[Eleanor Brown]

Any bacon lovers might enjoy the last 2 posts on our blog
http://bedandbreakfastworldblog.wordpress.com/

 

[bbinnsitters]

OMG - the wake 'n bacon was hysterical!

 

[sandynn]

I have never done it in the oven, does it make a mess of the oven? I've read bacon on a rack over a foil lined sheet is a no mess solution--is it?.

No it never makes a mess in the oven. I have done it in the oven for years and I love it. Just toss the foil and no mess. I tried it on a rack but I don't want to clean the rack. For me quick with no mess it best. I am like that with everything. I have a fruit dip that is out of this world and everyone wants to know how to make it. It tales less that 3 minutes to make.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have never done it in the oven, does it make a mess of the oven? I've read bacon on a rack over a foil lined sheet is a no mess solution--is it?.

No it never makes a mess in the oven. I have done it in the oven for years and I love it. Just toss the foil and no mess. I tried it on a rack but I don't want to clean the rack. For me quick with no mess it best. I am like that with everything. I have a fruit dip that is out of this world and everyone wants to know how to make it. It tales less that 3 minutes to make.
.

Exactly. Foil on the cookie sheet - no muss, no fuss, no bother. My dishwasher (aka DH) loves it that way.

 

[Tom]

Oven, no rack (hard to clean). I microwave package for a minute to make it easy to pull apart, place separated strips on sheet pan, cook for 10 minutes at 350 and drain off fat and turn strips with tongs (this allows them to shrink a little and keeps them from sticking and being too brittle), finish for another 10 minutes or so, then turn oven off to hold. Spatters less than pan fry and I can do 2 or 3 pounds at once and warm plates when done. I prefer the thick cut style as it is easier to handle without breaking. I usually serve 2 to 3 strips per person, depending on whether guests want smaller portions. On buffet, I can generally get 5 persons per pound, and don't put it all out at once. Had one family stay and grandpa was on a strictly enforced diet; he snuck off with a half pound, probably the highlight of his month.

 

[JBloggs]

But what about the oven? Don't you find the door and oven get really greasy? This is what I meant, not the pan was hard to clean.

 

[Alibi Ike]

But what about the oven? Don't you find the door and oven get really greasy? This is what I meant, not the pan was hard to clean..

We haven't found that the oven even needs cleaning. Maybe it is the pan we use? It's heavy aluminum with about a 3/4" side on it.

 

[white pine]

Thanks everyone!
It looks like we will be snowed in tomorrow. I may try doing the oven prep as I will have time to clean. I want to try that recipe for oreos, and plan to do some loaves of glazed lemon bread. Day in the kitchen! Did my great-great-aunt Hannah's gingerbread tonight--yum!.

I did the oven prep. I used a rack over a foil lined pan. No oven mess. The rack was not to bad to clean, I poped it in soapy water while still warm to soak. The bacon seemed to take a long time to get as crisp as we like it at 350. We both thought it was good, but not as good as the skillet method. Will probably do this again, it is so much easier.

 

[Tom]

But what about the oven? Don't you find the door and oven get really greasy? This is what I meant, not the pan was hard to clean..

Not a problem, ever. Only cook at 350, on convection. Fat itself doesn't spatter, water boiling into steam is what pops the fat. Starting with a thin layer of strips - one pound spread actross a half-sheet pan - doesn't collect water below the fat so it doesn't spatter. And I drain it about half way into cooking.
In truth, I was a pan-fry fan before, but I found it needed more pan space and more attention than I could manage in the breakfast service. The oven bacon is pretty uniform, needs minimal attention, cooks in advance and holds for an hour or more spread on a double layer of paper towels at 200 to 220 while I am warming plates.

 

[JBloggs]

I made bacon today in the foreman grill. Had the whole catch tray full of grease.

Living in these mountains I feel guilty getting rid of it, like there must be a couple dozen things I could use that bacon grease for, but also feel guilty eating it.

 

[Tom]

I made bacon today in the foreman grill. Had the whole catch tray full of grease.

Living in these mountains I feel guilty getting rid of it, like there must be a couple dozen things I could use that bacon grease for, but also feel guilty eating it..

BBBB, when I could heat all winter with only a tiny woodstove, I tried soaking kindling and tightly rolled newspaper in the waste bacon grease. Seemed to me it fogged up the stove glass and made it very hard to clean. By extrapolation to my stovepipe, I discontinued the practice. Save it up, make biodiesel. I knew someone who saved it up to make soap: gave it away to all her friends until she had no more ... friends, not grease, I'm afraid.

 

[JBloggs]

Yes I could use it for bear bait, soap, fire starters and candle making and of course every major food group in the south is cooked in lard!

Okay today we can have bacon, tomorrow we you have fried potatoes...and the next day hoe cakes...and so on...

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Yes I could use it for bear bait, soap, fire starters and candle making and of course every major food group in the south is cooked in lard!

Okay today we can have bacon, tomorrow we you have fried potatoes...and the next day hoe cakes...and so on....

Last night on Iron Chef America, the secret ingredient was pork fat! It was really interesting and I've never seen the judges finish off their plates as much as they did last night!
Try to catch a rerun.

 

[Joey Camb]

Microwave .....when and if ......I ever served bacon. I hate the smell and very rarely made it for guests. No food value as far as I am concerned and it stunk up the house and took forever to get rid of the oder..

You clearly do not serve kippers! now that is really something that stinks the place out. The people we bought from did it and you could still smell them the next day.

 

[MTLLodge]

With meat the flavor is in the fat!

 

[SteveL]

I made bacon today in the foreman grill. Had the whole catch tray full of grease.

Living in these mountains I feel guilty getting rid of it, like there must be a couple dozen things I could use that bacon grease for, but also feel guilty eating it..

I made bacon today in the foreman grill. Had the whole catch tray full of grease.

Living in these mountains I feel guilty getting rid of it, like there must be a couple dozen things I could use that bacon grease for, but also feel guilty eating it.

Suet cakes! Pour the fat into container and add seeds, nuts, peanut butter, fruit rind etc. chill or freeze, pop out and cut to fit suet feeder. Birds love it! or so says Sunday paper nature article. OR just chill so it sets and dump in trash. DO NOT dump down sink drain!