Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Baking bacon
• Part 2 of 3: Adding flavors to the bacon
• Part 3 of 3: Alternatives to baking
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Bacon can be prepared in many different ways, but baking is the traditional method. You can eat bacon with eggs, pancakes and other things that are often eaten for breakfast. You can even crumble it and add it to salads. If you don't have a stove or a skillet, don't worry because there are alternatives!

To step

Part 1 of 3: Baking bacon

1. Make sure the bacon is at room temperature. Remove the bacon from the refrigerator and let it sit for five minutes. This will soften the fat in the bacon. Do not fry cold bacon. If you wish, you can marinate or season the bacon at this point. To get ideas for marinades and seasoning, check out the section in this article on adding flavor to bacon.
   • If the bacon is frozen, you need to thaw it first. Don't fry frozen bacon. Instead, let the bacon thaw on its own while it is still in its packaging, or in a bowl of room temperature water. Do not thaw the bacon in the microwave.
2. Place the bacon in a cold frying pan. You can use a cast iron frying pan with a diameter of 12 inches, as long as it is cold. Place several slices on the skillet or pan. The bacon slices should almost touch, but not overlap. If you overlap the bacon, it may not cook evenly.
   • A regular frying pan works just as well as a cast iron frying pan, but a cast iron frying pan will cook the bacon faster.
3. Turn on the stove and fry the bacon. Set the temperature to "low" and fry the bacon. As the bacon starts to heat up, you will notice bacon fat build up on the bottom of the pan. This will help the bacon cook evenly. If there is too much bacon fat, consider pouring some into a heatproof bowl or pot. Do not pour bacon fat down the drain or you risk clogging the drain.
   • If you want crispy bacon, consider filling the skillet with just enough water to cover the bacon. Set the temperature to "high" instead of "low". When the water starts to boil, lower the temperature to "medium" and when the water has evaporated from simmering, lower the temperature back to "medium low". Continue to cook the bacon in its own fat, until it is golden brown in color.
4. When the bacon starts to curl, flip it over with a fork. After a few minutes you will notice that the bacon starts to bubble and curl. Flip the bacon with a fork. You can use the fork like a mini spatula and slide it under the bacon slice before flipping it over. You can also clamp the bacon slice between the fork pins and flip that way - this will give you more support and control.
5. Cook the bacon until done. The amount of time you cook the bacon depends on how cooked it should be. The crunchier you want the bacon, the longer you will have to cook it.
6. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain the bacon. As soon as the bacon is cooked to your liking, place each piece on a plate lined with kitchen paper if necessary. If necessary, allow paper towels to soak up the excess fat before serving the bacon.
   • You can also drain the bacon on clean paper vegetable bags or an oven rack on a baking tray.

Part 2 of 3: Adding flavors to the bacon

1. Consider adding variety to the bacon. You can make the bacon more flavorful by marinating it or by rubbing spices on it before cooking it. You can also combine it with other foods. This section will give you some ideas on how to add extra flavor to your bacon. To learn how to fry bacon, see the previous section of this article on frying bacon.
2. Add some spices to the bacon. You can give the bacon an extra boost of flavor by rubbing it in with a combination of spices. Make sure the bacon is at room temperature before adding the spices. Let the spices soak in the bacon for a few minutes before cooking. Here are a few combinations:
   • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of spices for apple pie or pumpkin pie.
   • 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of coarsely ground pepper.
   • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of paprika.
   • 1 ½ tablespoons of dark brown sugar.
3. Marinate the bacon with sauce, salad dressing, or syrup. Put some bacon in a dish and top it with a sauce, salad dressing or syrup of your choice. Make sure to cover both sides of the bacon. Let the bowl sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then bake as usual. Consider marinating the bacon with one of the following seasonings:
   • 1 cup of pineapple juice plus 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
   • Italian salad dressing
   • Molasses
   • Teriyaki Sauce
   • Maple syrup. Thinner maple syrup works best.
   • Keep in mind that sweet sauces and dressings will caramelize when you cook the bacon. This will result in some stickiness and mess to clean.
4. Make bacon pancakes. Although there are no spices or marinades, it is possible to combine the two best breakfasts: bacon and pancakes. Make some pancake batter and fry some bacon. Remove the bacon from the frying pan, place it on some kitchen paper and pour the melted fat from the pan into a pot for storage. Return the bacon to the skillet, leaving 5 cm between each slice. Pour the batter over each slice of bacon and let it cook until the batter starts to bubble (after about 1-2 minutes). Flip the bacon over and cook until the bottom turns golden (after about two minutes).

Part 3 of 3: Alternatives to baking

1. Think of other cooking methods. While bacon is traditionally baked, sometimes baking is simply not an option due to time constraints or lack of equipment. Fortunately, there are several ways to prepare bacon. This section shows you how to cook bacon using a microwave, oven, or barbecue.
2. Prepare the bacon in a microwave. Place a few strips of bacon on a paper-lined plate, then cover with another paper towel. Place the plate in the microwave and cook it for a minute. Watch your bacon, because every microwave is different and the bacon may be ready earlier.
   • The more kitchen paper you put on the plate, the thicker the paper will be. That way you get crispier bacon.
3. Bake bacon in the oven. Cover a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack over it. Arrange the bacon on the rack and place everything in a cold oven. Turn on the oven and set the temperature to 205 ° C. Heat the bacon for about 20 minutes. For crispy bacon, extend the cooking time by a few minutes.
   • Turn the bacon over if necessary. Bake the bacon for 12 to 15 minutes, then flip the bacon. Let it cook for another 10 minutes.
   • Placing the bacon on an oven rack will allow the excess fat to drip off and prevent it from littering around the bacon. It will circulate the hot air in the oven around the bacon and cook it evenly.
   • Putting the bacon in a cold oven will help keep the bacon flatter and prevent shrinkage.
4. Fry the bacon on the barbecue. Start the barbecue and set it on medium high. When the barbecue is hot, place the bacon on the rack. Wait until the bacon starts to get crispy and golden, then flip it over to continue cooking. This takes 5-7 minutes.

Tips

• Place the bacon in a cold frying pan before heating the pan.
• Consider seasoning or marinating the bacon.
• Consider filling the skillet with water and cooking the bacon over high heat, gradually dropping the temperature as the water level drops. This will give you crunchier bacon.
• Save the fat for other cooking purposes. Never pour bacon fat down the drain. It will harden and can cause drainage problems.

Warnings

• Never let bacon cook unattended. Fire can start, your house can go up in flames, or more importantly, your bacon can burn.
• Grease popping and sizzling is normal, as drops of hot grease will fly out of the pan.Be careful when frying the bacon so that the fat doesn't accidentally hit you and burn you.
• Do not fry the bacon on high heat. Slow cooking helps to bring out the fat and improves the flavor.

Necessities

• Bacon
• Cast iron frying pan of 30 cm in diameter
• Fork
• Kitchen paper, paper vegetable bags or an oven rack