Searing Bacon Perfection: Tips And Tricks

How to Pan-Sear Bacon

Pan-searing is a great way to cook bacon, whether you like it crispy or a little flappy. It's a quick and easy method that allows you to tailor the bacon to your liking. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieving perfectly pan-seared bacon.

What You'll Need:

- Bacon (choose your favourite kind—some like it fattier, some like it smoked, but generally, a blend of meat and fat works well)

- Stove

- Sturdy pan (a wide, flat-bottomed frying pan or cast-iron skillet are good choices)

- Tongs or fork (tongs are recommended to avoid splattering)

- Paper towels, brown paper bag, or newspaper for draining

- Glass or metal container for drippings

- Bulb baster (optional)

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Place your bacon strips in a cold pan. You can crowd the pan a little as the bacon will shrink while cooking, but avoid overlapping the strips.

2. Turn on the burner to low heat. The bacon will start to release its fat, and when it begins to curl, use tongs to loosen and turn the strips.

3. Continue flipping and turning the bacon so that it browns evenly. If your pan is filling up with grease, carefully remove some with a bulb baster or spoon and pour it into a glass or metal container. Be very careful when pouring off grease to avoid spills and the risk of a grease fire.

4. Cook the bacon to your desired level of doneness. For crispy bacon, leave it on the pan a little longer. Just remember that the bacon will continue to cook a little after being removed from the pan. Look for even browning and ensure the meat has lost its raw redness.

5. Remove the bacon from the pan and place it on paper towels, a brown paper bag, or newspaper to drain the excess grease.

6. If you have more bacon to cook, drain the excess grease and add more to the pan. If your pan has a browned crust, let it cool and wipe it clean before continuing.

Choosing the right cut of bacon

Type of Bacon

• Streaky Bacon: This is the most common type of bacon in America and Canada, and it's also known as side bacon. It comes from the belly or side of the pig and has distinct "streaky" layers of fat and meat. Streaky bacon is very tasty, easy to crisp up, and tends to shrink when cooked as the fat renders.
• Back Bacon: This type of bacon comes from the back of the pig and is much leaner, usually without a rind attached. It is the leanest type of bacon, making it popular with health-conscious individuals. Back bacon includes varieties such as Canadian bacon and Irish or English bacon.
• Middle Cut Bacon: This is a combination of both streaky and short cut bacon. It offers a balance between the fatty streaky bacon and the leaner short cut bacon, making it perfect when cooking for a crowd with varied preferences.

Curing and Smoking

• Curing: Bacon is typically cured in a salt, sugar, and nitrate mix, which gives it its pink colour. Uncured bacon does not contain artificial or sodium nitrates but may still have naturally occurring nitrates from seasonings.
• Smoking: Bacon can be smoked or unsmoked. Smoking adds flavour to the meat and can be done using different types of wood, such as hickory, pecan, or apple.

Thickness

• Thicker cut bacon will take longer to cook and is better suited for certain cooking methods like grilling or sous vide.
• Thinner cut bacon will cook faster and is ideal for achieving crispy bacon.

Source and Quality

• Look for high-quality bacon from a reputable source, such as a local butcher or a trusted brand.
• Check the packaging to ensure the bacon has a good fat-to-meat ratio, which will impact the taste and texture.
• If you have specific flavour preferences, look for bacon with added flavours like chipotle, maple, applewood-smoked, or brown sugar.

Remember, the key to choosing the right cut of bacon is understanding your desired outcome and selecting the type of bacon that best suits your cooking method and taste preferences.

The best pans for searing bacon

There are several options for the best pans to use when searing bacon. The best choice depends on your personal preferences, how much bacon you want to cook, and how much clean-up you are willing to do.

Cast iron skillet

Cast iron skillets are the best option for stovetop bacon. They have a symbiotic relationship with bacon, cooking it with minimal to no sticking and are easy to clean, especially if they are well-seasoned. The bacon, in turn, provides a ready supply of grease to help maintain and improve the seasoning.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel pans are another option for cooking bacon on the stovetop. They cook bacon just fine, but their more adhesive surface tends to lead to stuck-on browned bits that then have to be scoured away.

Non-stick

Non-stick pans are the third option for stovetop bacon. They work well and are the easiest to clean, but the grease in a non-stick pan will get very hot, which is hotter than a non-stick surface should get.

Oven-baked bacon

Cooking bacon in the oven is a good option when cooking more than six slices of bacon or when you need to free up space on your stovetop. It also requires less attention during cooking since no turning is necessary. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the bacon slices side by side on a rack in a foil-lined, shallow-rimmed baking pan. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes or until crisp.

Microwave

Choose this strategy to cook bacon quickly and without heating up your kitchen. Place bacon slices on a microwave-safe rack or a plate lined with microwave-safe paper towels. Cover with a paper towel. Microwave on 100% power (high) to desired doneness, rearranging bacon once. Allow 1½ to 2 minutes for two slices, 2½ to 3 minutes for four pieces, and 3½ to 4 minutes for six.

How to cook bacon in the oven

Cooking bacon in the oven is a great way to make a big batch of evenly cooked, crispy bacon with less mess and more ease than cooking it on the stovetop. It's also a safer method as it won't splatter you with hot grease.

You will need two things: a rimmed sheet pan to catch the grease, and paper towels to absorb the excess grease from the cooked bacon.

There are three methods you can use to cook the bacon in the oven, each with its pros and cons:

Sheet pan + aluminum foil

Line your pan with aluminum foil to protect it from grease. This method cooks the bacon evenly and gets it crispy on both sides. It also makes it easy to collect the bacon fat for future use.

Sheet pan only

You can cook the bacon directly on a metal sheet tray, but it may not cook as evenly and you will be left with a greasy pan to clean.

Sheet pan + cooling rack

Using a metal cooling rack over the sheet pan will keep the bacon separate from the fat, resulting in less greasy bacon. However, the bacon will be less crispy, and you will have both the pan and the rack to clean afterward.

The ideal temperature and cooking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and your desired level of crispness.

For thin-cut bacon, a temperature of 400°F for 12-20 minutes should be sufficient.

For thick-cut bacon, stick to 400°F but increase the cooking time to 14-25 minutes.

Remember to keep an eye on the bacon as it cooks, as ovens can vary and you don't want it to burn!

Tips:

• Use good quality, thick-cut bacon for the best results.
• For extra crispness, place a wire rack in the oven to allow heat to circulate evenly around the bacon.
• Save the grease! Bacon drippings can be used to add flavor to other dishes.

How to cook bacon on a grill

Cooking bacon on a grill is a great way to impart a smoky flavour into your bacon. Here is how to do it:

Firstly, you will need to select a suitable type of bacon. Thick-cut bacon is best for grilling, as thin rashers are a disaster – they will scorch on the grill grates in a matter of seconds, or stick and tear, or flop down in between and burn.

You will also need to prepare your grill. A two-zone fire is best, with the coals piled to one side. This allows you to cook the bacon right on the edge of the two zones, so it is close enough to the direct heat to crisp without burning.

Now, season your bacon. You can wrap the bacon around a filet mignon steak and secure it with a toothpick, or simply season with salt and pepper. You can also brush the bacon with olive oil before placing on the grill.

Place the bacon on the grill and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes. Then, use tongs to hold each slice on its side to sear the bacon. Move the bacon to a low-heat area of the grill to finish cooking to your preferred temperature.

Remove the bacon from the grill and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

You can also cook bacon on a grill by using a cast-iron skillet. Follow the stovetop instructions for cooking bacon, but do so on a cast-iron skillet on your grill. Aim for a grill temperature of 400°F and cook with the lid closed, opening to flip the slices partway through the cooking time.

How to clean up after cooking bacon

Cleaning up after cooking bacon doesn't have to be a greasy, messy affair. Here are some tips to make the process easier:

Before You Start Cooking:

• Line your baking sheet or pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This will make it easier to collect the bacon grease and prevent it from sticking to your pan.
• If you're cooking on a stovetop, consider using a splatter screen to cover your skillet. This will help reduce the amount of grease that escapes and lands on your stovetop or countertops.

After Cooking:

• Let the grease cool slightly, but don't let it solidify. Use a paper towel or coffee filter to strain the grease into a jar or container for future use. Bacon grease is great for adding flavor to other dishes!
• If you don't want to save the grease, let it cool, then throw away the parchment paper or aluminum foil along with the grease. No need to scrub the pan!
• If you don't use a liner, fill your pan with hot water and let it soak to loosen any remaining grease. Then, use a brush or sponge to wipe away any remaining residue.

Bonus Tip:

Cooking bacon in the oven can also reduce the mess. Oven-baked bacon eliminates splatters on your stovetop and produces more even results. Simply preheat your oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, lay out your bacon slices, and cook for 10-20 minutes until crispy.

Frequently asked questions