If you start with a piece of bacon...

[SaltyNuts]

And you cut off all those pieces of whitish visible fat, leaving only the reddih visible meat, how much fat is still within that meat? I bet it is very little and your bacon now has waaay more protein than fat and is extremely healthy and still tastes great, especially when used to flavor other things...

 

[lxskllr]

Fat isn't that unhealthy in reasonable quantities. I'd be more concerned about the nitrite they use to cure it.

 

[dank69]

And you cut off all those pieces of whitish visible fat, leaving only the reddih visible meat, how much fat is still within that meat? I bet it is very little and your bacon now has waaay more protein than fat and is extremely healthy and still tastes great, especially when used to flavor other things...

I'd guess 90-95% of the flavor of bacon comes from the fat.

 

[Torn Mind]

Bacon Fat only becomes an issue when starches are eaten with it.

 

[brianmanahan]

i refuse to eat bacon with fat on it

this has been a rule i've lived by since i could eat bacon

 

[BarkingGhostar]

People eat bacon for protein and to be healthy? NO!

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Bacon Fat only becomes an issue when starches are eaten with it.

My 'normal' breakfast recently has been bacon and hash browns.

 

[KMFJD]

speaking of bacon, the only one i will buy now are those extra thick cut ones...cook those up in the oven and save all that fat for another meal

 

[snoopy7548]

If you want protein, eat some (salty) nuts.

 

[pete6032]

Wouldn't this just end up like jerkey?

 

[dullard]

Cooked bacon has roughly 1/3rd the calories and 1/3rd the fat as uncooked bacon. But, even then the fat mass will roughly match the protein mass in cooked bacon. The exact amount depends on how you cook it and how crispy you make it. Why bother cutting off the fat when you can just cook most of it out?

Bacon should be put into the sometimes-eat category. It is neither particularly good nor bad for you nutrition wise.

 

[MrSquished]

Bacon is pork belly used incorrectly. Find any Asian preparation of Pork Belly like Chasu and that is much better.

 

[dullard]

Bacon is pork belly used incorrectly. Find any Asian preparation of Pork Belly like Chasu and that is much better.

I would agree with you, except that Chashu has sugar in all the recipes that I found quickly. Sugar just ruins meat for me. Plus, sugar goes in the opposite direction of the OP's thought on healthier.

 

[BudAshes]

Bacon is pork belly used incorrectly. Find any Asian preparation of Pork Belly like Chasu and that is much better.

Bacon is delicious if cooked properly. Properly is in a pan, in it's own fats over medium-low heat and then removed before it gets too crispy. Bacon is rarely good at restaurants because they cook it in an oven which is just wrong.

 

[Captante]

If you start with a piece of bacon...

You're off to a good start?


*(fat levels ingrained in the meat itself will vary from animal to animal)

 

[Captante]

Bacon is delicious if cooked properly. Properly is in a pan, in it's own fats over medium-low heat and then removed before it gets too crispy. Bacon is rarely good at restaurants because they cook it in an oven which is just wrong.

Where did you come up with this theory?

Cooking bacon in the oven is pretty much exactly the same as pan frying bacon provided you do it right on a flat pan (NOT a broiling rack) and finish it with the broiler. I've done it both ways literally HUNDREDS of times.

(except that its 20 times easier and makes exponentially less mess especially when making large quantities with the oven)

The main reasons that restaurant bacon isn't good are (1) cheap ass bacon and (2) its often NOT fresh. (this is most common)

 

[nakedfrog]

Definitely prefer cooking bacon in an oven. I also like crispy bacon though.

 

[BudAshes]

Where did you come up with this theory?

Cooking bacon in the oven is pretty much exactly the same as pan frying bacon provided you do it right on a flat pan (NOT a broiling rack) and finish it with the broiler. I've done it both ways literally HUNDREDS of times.

(except that its 20 times easier and makes exponentially less mess especially when making large quantities with the oven)

The main reasons that restaurant bacon isn't good are (1) cheap ass bacon and (2) its often NOT fresh. (this is most common)

The mess is still going to exist in the oven, the bacon just won't be as good. It needs to be flipped as it is cooked and removed from the pan depending on the size and thickness of the piece of bacon. Oven is fine if it's just going on a burger or used for cooking, but if I want perfect bacon for breakfast it should be cooked in a pan.

 

[Captante]

The mess is still going to exist in the oven, the bacon just won't be as good. It needs to be flipped as it is cooked and removed from the pan depending on the size and thickness of the piece of bacon. Oven is fine if it's just going on a burger or used for cooking, but if I want perfect bacon for breakfast it should be cooked in a pan.

I read this post as "I can't cook bacon in the oven properly" sorry!

(Additionally my oven is self-cleaning as opposed to the range-top.... and in the interest of full-disclosure its also gas-heated... electric doesn't work as well for bacon IME)

 

[BudAshes]

I read this post as "I can't cook bacon in the oven properly" sorry!

(Additionally my oven is self-cleaning as opposed to the range-top.... and in the interest of full-disclosure its also gas-heated... electric doesn't work as well for bacon IME)

Honestly I have never tried. I just never like it when other people do it. I don't do much cooking, but I always make sure I make the bacon.

 

[Captante]

Honestly I have never tried. I just never like it when other people do it. I don't do much cooking, but I always make sure I make the bacon.

All kidding aside when I'm making bacon for myself or maybe 2 people I use a cast-iron fry pan or my electric griddle if I'm feeling lazy since it literally wipes clean with a paper towel.

The mistake folks make with bacon in the oven is cooking at too low temps and/or using a pan with some type of rack that holds the meat up and out of the hot grease.

The result is dry and much less flavorful bacon which makes me sad.




(Also try cooking 2lbs of bacon at the same time in a fry-pan ... even a big one!)

 

[ponyo]

Bacon is pork belly used incorrectly. Find any Asian preparation of Pork Belly like Chasu and that is much better.

As someone who's super experienced with Asian cuisine and eaten mountains of pork belly and bacon, I have to disagree. If you can't appreciate the greatness of bacon, you don't like pork meat.

 

[ponyo]

Definitely prefer cooking bacon in an oven. I also like crispy bacon though.

I like crispy bacon too. If I'm cooking thick bacon, I like to start it in a frying pan and then finish on George Foreman like electric griddle. The two step process drains the fat and gives you nice crispy bacon.

 

[BudAshes]

As someone who's super experienced with Asian cuisine and eaten mountains of pork belly and bacon, I have to disagree. If you can't appreciate the greatness of bacon, you don't like pork meat.

Now I'm just imagining sitting on a mountain of bacon and pork belly and just going to town. It's time for some lunch.

 

[Captante]

Definitely prefer cooking bacon in an oven. I also like crispy bacon though.

I like crispy bacon too. If I'm cooking thick bacon, I like to start it in a frying pan and then finish on George Foreman like electric griddle. The two step process drains the fat and gives you nice crispy bacon.

The key part of making bacon come out crispy in the oven is the last couple minutes it spends approx 2 inch's below the broiler with the oven door cracked .... need to hover over it though unless you like it REALLY crispy! (like on fire!)