how should I cook my bacon? (updated: baked)

[Vic Vega]

Cast iron in oven?

Yep.

 

[DCal430]

We usually get Canadian Bacon, which is pretty much like ham. Regular bacon isn't real good for you so I try to stay away from it, although once in awhile I like a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread.

What is called Canadian Bacon in the U.S and Ham are different things. Some people confuse them to be similar but they are very different. One big difference is the rice, Canadian Bacon comes from a better cut of the pork and is like 10 times the price.

 

[nageov3t]

Take your best guess on how much leftover bacon there will be, pre-cook it, cut it into bits, place in meatloaf.

-KeithP

thread winner :thumbsup:

I cooked it on foil in the oven, tossed it into the meatloaf mix, and then cooked the meatloaf on top of some of the bacon fat.

 

[CZroe]

Real men understand that bacon gets even tastier when cooked.

Which is precisely why I prefer well-done meats and yet people tell me that I'm crazy for not wanting something at least a little rare.

 

[Soccerman06]

According to what I have read, bacon is good, and bad, for you. The part of bacon that isn't good for you is the fat, and the salt isn't real good for you either. The lean part of bacon actually has some health benefits for you. So bacon isn't all bad, but it isn't all good either. There are good and bad things and the bad sort of outweighs the good. Still, eaten in moderate amounts it should be OK.

Over the years bacon has been associated with obesity, clogged arteries, etc. Today, studies have shown that bacon actually has health benefits, but even so, too much animal fat and too much salt are not good things for you to ingest. A little bacon is OK, but since bacon tends to be high in both fat and salt, it is best not to eat too much of it.

Some brands of bacon may have less fat and less salt than others, so maybe if you shop around and try to find leaner and less salty bacon it would be better for you.

I know I didnt put a /sarcasm thing on that, but really? like common

 

[JimW1949]

I know I didn't put a /sarcasm thing on that, but really? like common

Sorry if I got a little out of line, I guess I took it the wrong way. This has not been a good day. It has been storming off and on, heavy rains at times and then just a drizzle at other times. I can't find my set of long handled Allen Wrenches and I need them to remove the sanding disc from my belt/disc sander. I want to replace the sanding disc and it is glued on pretty good and I need to remove the disc and use some heavy duty cleaner to remove all the glue and crap so the new sanding disc will stick to the metal disc. So that's bugging me. I wanted to play golf today and couldn't because of the rain, that irritated me. So please understand, it isn't you, it's just me having a bad day. My wife told me to take a Midol and go to bed. I may take her advice, not the Midol part, but the part about going to bed.

 

[Soccerman06]

Sorry if I got a little out of line, I guess I took it the wrong way. This has not been a good day. It has been storming off and on, heavy rains at times and then just a drizzle at other times. I can't find my set of long handled Allen Wrenches and I need them to remove the sanding disc from my belt/disc sander. I want to replace the sanding disc and it is glued on pretty good and I need to remove the disc and use some heavy duty cleaner to remove all the glue and crap so the new sanding disc will stick to the metal disc. So that's bugging me. I wanted to play golf today and couldn't because of the rain, that irritated me. So please understand, it isn't you, it's just me having a bad day. My wife told me to take a Midol and go to bed. I may take her advice, not the Midol part, but the part about going to bed.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Which is precisely why I prefer well-done meats and yet people tell me that I'm crazy for not wanting something at least a little rare.

You are crazy. The meat has flavor from the juice and searing meat gives additional flavor from the Maillard/Browning Reaction. Raw meat loses the benefit of the browning and well-done eliminates the juiciness. The ideal way to cook meat is browned or charred on the outside and still medium in the middle so that you get the full benefit of both flavors. Doing it any other way the meat will be far less flavorful than maximum goodness.

 

[davmat787]

this, but put the bacon in the cold oven, not preheated

Thanks for adding this, I always add this but for some reason did not in this thread. Anyway, as slayer202 states, do not preheat the oven, as the fat will render better than putting the bacon in a preheated oven. Also, the bacon grease will be very clean and clear compared to frying, so be sure to save it for cooking other things. Brussel Sprouts sauteed in bacon fat is absolute win.

 

[Numenorean]

I declare this thread: FAIL!

Failure to use a cast iron pan to cook your bacon! FAIL!

 

[child of wonder]

Bacon on the grill is really good, too.

Just make sure you use some heavy duty foil with the edges turned up otherwise you'll have a grease fire on your hands.

 

[nageov3t]

I declare this thread: FAIL!

Failure to use a cast iron pan to cook your bacon! FAIL!

my only cast-iron pan would fit like 2 slices of bacon.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I usually cook my bacon in my panini pan...it's the $39.99 Calphalon one from Target. It usually keeps the bacon nice and straight...and the grease has somewhere to drain to. The only downside is that you can only do 6 or so slices at a time to keep it from sticking...but it's a lot easier to flip and manage.

Cast iron is another favorite, but I'm still trying to get my pans seasoned just right. I like thick-cut bacon chopped up when I make shrimp & grits or red beans & rice to help get the flavors going...usually before I add garlic or onions.

 

[Scotteq]

From 'Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" -

Use a burger sized round form: chop the bacon roughly, put a generous layer in the bottom of the form and cover with cheese (bleu or sharp cheddar). Then press 80/20 ground beef in the top to finish off the patty.

Grill bacon side first. When the bacon is done and the melted cheese has formed a crust, flip to finish off the beef side. Then Bun, lettuce, Tomato, etc...

 

[Possessed Freak]

I'd hate to mess it up with bacon fat tonight.

splatter screen?