Ok, I’ll back up SIgnified here, the water works as he explains. I do it in the oven this way sometimes, sometimes without. Same goes for stovetop. It all depends on what I’m making the bacon for.

I used to cook it from a cold oven start, but my new stove "rapid preheats" so I now start from a hot oven.

375, foil lined cookie sheet, thick bacon cooks around 25 minutes, no flipping needed.

I buy a pig and have it butchered locally, so the bacon will vary in size leaving some crispier that others (perfect for my household's varied tastes).

Oh, and save the bacon grease for cooking with later!

quote:

Oh, and save the bacon grease for cooking with later!

Crucial!

I had been frying in a stovetop cast iron skillet, but I recently bought one of those gizmos off TV that uses a rack in the microwave. It does a pretty good job.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Guess I'm just an old school curmudgeons as I continue to use a stovetop cast iron frying pan for my bacon.

Curmudgeon maybe not, you just enjoy the process. I'm the same with making steel-cut oats over the stove-top.

You got me dead to rights my friend!

I’ll go with the bombastic one on this. A little water seems to cook bacon more evenly without getting too crispy. And the water is gone well before the cooking is finished.
BTW, 75-100 lbs is a lot of bacon!

The only time I cook bacon in the oven is when I have multiple guests and I'm cooking a lot of it. 98% of the time it's just for me, or Barb and I, and 3-6 pieces fit in the 12" cast iron pan nicely. I cut onions, peppers, and potatoes while it's simmering. Some of the remaining grease is used for the potatoes and or eggs.
Next time I do bake it I'll try your tip of pouring water on it first.

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Originally posted by 83v45magna:
I bake mine on a sheet lined with parchment paper.

Same here but I use the convection oven setting. Makes it a bit crisper. 370 deg (convection) for 20 minutes

I use Wright's thick cut most of the time and a sheet pan lined with foil. I set oven for 400 and put bacon in cold oven and let it heat up with the oven. Turning is unnecessary imho and cook time is approx 25 min in a convection oven. I don't like mine extra crisp and this method suits me.

Here's a before pic - sorry the after pic is on my waistline

Thought I'd add one more thing. I don't buy packaged bacon and haven't for a long, long time.

I buy bacon by the pound in butcher shops and get the thick cut, usually Jalapeno bacon or Chipotle bcon or when it's in season, Hatch Chile bacon.

Don't like the commercial packaged stuff at all.

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Originally posted by Flash-LB:
…Hatch Chile bacon.

Good gosh that stuff is phenomenal. Wish we could find it up here in KS.

Thanks look forward to trying this. Especially adding the water to the equation.

Pan, foil and oven for me.

When done, I pass all of the bacon grease through a coffee filter into a mason jar and put it in the fridge.

That is my go to fat for most of my cooking of things that would benefit from the flavor, like eggs, veggies, a little in the toasted cheese pan, etc.

Try an old school broiler pan instead of a regular cookie sheet.

Line the bottom part with foil for easy clean up.

I don't even flip it, just cook to desired doneness, pull to paper towel and enjoy.

quote:

Originally posted by ubelongoutside:

Line the bottom part with foil for easy clean up.

Parchment paper works, too.

The best bacon I've ever had was the bacon my mother made in the broiler. She used a shallow pan with a wire grill that suspended the bacon from the bottom of the pan. The grease would simply drip down as the bacon cooked. Turned it once when the top side was done and continued until the other side was done. Pulled it out dabbed it with paper towels to soak up excess grease that was left. As crisp as you wanted depending upon how long you left it in, but never brittle crisp. The best.

Preheat convection oven to 400F - 20 minutes on the broiler drip pan - grease drains off---nice chewy/crispy combo.............

My pro tip.....never fry bacon naked

Jim

I’d rather just go to the Waffle House. They have good bacon.

With some good luck I’ll get a ring side seat for the fist fights, hair pulling, chair throwing waitress tossing the flying chair aside, table top jumping clumsy gymnastics.

I can’t help it, I live such a boring life.
.

I do 425 degrees, but put the bacon in a cold oven. Typically 20 minutes and its done. I use parchment paper rated to 450 degrees for easy cleanup.