Best Bacon
Howdy y’all, and thanks for stopping by the website. Over the years, I’ve shared how to make Jalapeno Candied Bacon. I’ve even shared how to cure your own bacon. Today, I’m going to share with you some of the tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the years for how to make the best bacon you’ve ever eaten.
I know, you’re thinking, how can you mess up bacon? Once you’ve tried these methods you will never go back, that I promise you.
If you’re cooking on a skillet, click here to jump ahead.
If you’re baking the bacon in the oven, click here to jump ahead.
Always get you the thick cut bacon from the belly of a hog. Any other type of animal bacon is a different animal and a different way to cook.
Cooking Bacon in a Skillet
Choose the Right Skillet
There is simply no match for a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat and distributes that heat evenly. If you are new to cast iron or having any issues with seasoning, check out our cast iron playlist. We’ve got you covered no matter what your problem is.
Don’t Pre-Heat the Skillet
For the best results, bring the bacon to room temperature. Do not pre-heat the skillet – place the bacon in the pan at room temperature. Arrange the bacon so that none of the slices touch each other. Don’t overcrowd the skillet.
Cook over Medium Heat
By cooking from room temperature, you are going to render the fat a little better, and the bacon will be flatter and more evenly cooked. Start over medium heat, using a bacon press if you so desire.
Tip: Use a smaller cast iron skillet as a bacon press.
Flip the Bacon
Flip the bacon frequently, as well as rearrange the bacon in the pan. The more you move the bacon around the more evenly it will cook. If the edge of the bacon slice is starting to brown, it’s time to flip it. It’s finished when it looks like you want to eat it. Remove the bacon to a plate covered with a paper towel.
Save the Bacon Grease
Make sure you scrape the cast iron no more than a few minutes after removing the bacon using a wooden spatula. If you wait, it’s just going to congeal and stick and it will be a big pain later on. Scrape all of the bits out when you pour the grease over the strainer and into the jar. Save the grease in the ice box. It will make everything you cook taste better.
Tip: Use a coffee filter or fine strainer to drain bacon grease into a glass jar or coffee can for later use.
Baking Bacon
Often times when I’m cooking breakfast, I run out of burners on the stove. That’s when I usually bake my bacon in the oven. It can turn out perfectly – just follow a few simple steps.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
We want that oven all the way pre-heated before you open the oven and put the bacon inside.
Line a baking sheet with two layers of parchment paper.
This will prevent bacon splatter from sticking to the sides of your oven by soaking up all of the grease. If you get grease all over your oven, you’re going to set the smoke alarm off every time you use it.
Cook for 17-20 minutes
Depending on how you like your bacon, you can adjust the time to be shorter or longer. The bacon is done when it’s done the way you like it.
Immediately place on paper towel.
There is no need for a wire rack here. As soon as the bacon is out of the oven, place it on a paper towel to soak up all of that grease. Then, it’s time to dig in!
Thanks for stopping by the website! If you liked this video, check out our Jalapeno Candied Bacon and how to cure your own bacon videos.
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Home Cured Bacon – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pound uncured pork belly skin off
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Mesquite smoke seasoning *see substitution
- ¼ cup warm water
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the pork belly. You can keep or trim off as much as desired.
- Place the pork on a flat baking sheet.
- Place the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well.
- Pour half the marinade over the top side of the pork and rub all over with a spatula. Flip the pork over and repeat with the remaining marinade.
- Cover and place in the icebox for 3 days. After 1 ½ days, flip the pork over, recover for the remaining 1 ½ days.
- Remove the pork from the icebox and rinse all the marinade off.
- Place the pork on the counter for about 45 minutes before smoking to let it warm.
- Place two large handfuls of hardwood lump charcoal in a smoker on one side of the grate. Light the charcoal and when it turns white add 5 to 6 large pieces of chunked apple wood.
- When the applewoods catches fire, close the air vents and place the pork on the indirect heat side of the smoker. Shut the lid and cook for 1 hour.Smoker temperature should be between 180 and 200 degrees F.
- Flip the bacon over and cook for about 1 ½ hour or until the internal temp is 145 to 150 degrees F.
- Remove the pork from smoker and place on a wire rack on a baking sheet and let cool for about 1 hour.
- Cover and set the pork in the icebox for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Slice the bacon to your preferred thickness. Fry up or this makes a good meat addition when cooking beans.