Cooking bacon

[TopChef]

How do you cook your bacon? I used to always do it in the cast iron skillet. But I got tired of the dangerous splatters. Now I spread the slices out on a baking sheet and bake them. It is so much less messy! But the pan is a little harder to clean. More surface to get greasy, I guess.

 

[smokinhog]

I usually cook mine in a frying pan. Sometimes I use the iron skillet and other times I use a teflon coated pan of sorts. I have read that cooking in the microwave works fairly well but I haven't tried it. Have you?

 

[Briquet]

I use the cast iron skillet and dodge the spatters as best I can (I don't have a spatter guard). I like my bacon softer anyway so it doesn't take as long.

I've never tried baking my bacon. The microwave is ok, but not as good as pan frying.

 

[Charcoal]

I usually cook mine in a frying pan. Sometimes I use the iron skillet and other times I use a teflon coated pan of sorts. I have read that cooking in the microwave works fairly well but I haven't tried it. Have you?

My sister-in-law usually cooks her bacon in the microwave because it's less messy and greasy. I prefer cooking mine in a frying pan though. I think the bacon tastes better when cooked that way.

 

[MissPeggy]

I always use the frying pan. I have done it in the microwave before and it's not to bad. I think some bacon just splatters more then others. I've found that if I put it in the frying pan first off before it gets hot and cook it slow that it doesn't shrink up as much either.

 

[jason]

I've cooked it several different ways. Oven, frying pan, microwave, electric griddle and a cast iron griddle over a fire. I like the fire part the best.

 

[grillqueen79]

I cook mine in the oven most of the time but I cover my pan with aluminum foil. That way you don't have to deal with the splatters or the mess.

 

[Hilt]

Well splatters will always worry me a little as I have dealt with a few bad ones in my time but I tend to cook longer rather than cook faster when it comes to bacon. I have three separate scars from the past mistakes that I do not wish to repeat. Also, it always has to be crunchy, floppy bacon is not something I approve of.

 

[Briquet]

Well splatters will always worry me a little as I have dealt with a few bad ones in my time but I tend to cook longer rather than cook faster when it comes to bacon. I have three separate scars from the past mistakes that I do not wish to repeat. Also, it always has to be crunchy, floppy bacon is not something I approve of.

Those are fighting words! Softer bacon is far superior to the tasteless charred crunch version.

Splatter guards are a wonderful thing; I really need to go buy one myself so I don't get scars like you unfortunately have.

 

[TopChef]

That is a great tip, grillqueen79. I am making bacon tonight, so I will have to try the foil on top. Hilt, I'm with you on crispier bacon. But it is not important enough to me to forgo the convenience of cooking the bacon in the oven. Briquet, I used to have a splatter guard. I should get a new one. They can be hard to find, but it is worth the search as they are very handy.

 

[Burg14]

Yuk to floppy bacon! I always cook it on the stove in a frying pan. When we go on vacation to the beach house, I cook it on the grill outside. I've never tried to bake it before.

 

[Juliette]

We don't have bacon much these days, but when we do, I'd say it's about 50% in the frying pan and 50% in the microwave. It always has so much grease in it that it splatters if I try to bake it. At least in the microwave, I have paper towels around it to absorb all that grease.

 

[khartig]

My bacon is always cooked crisp in a frying pan. I can't do the oven or microwave thing. I don't worry about the grease, mine gets strained and kept in a crock to use for cooking, especially my eggs. I know it's far from the healthiest way to cook eggs, but thats the only way I eat them. Old habits die hard.

 

[sheepdad]

For all of you with smokers, try smoking some thick cut bacon with some savory rub sprinkled on it and a quick mop of your favorite bbq sauce. Insane

 

[khartig]

For all of you with smokers, try smoking some thick cut bacon with some savory rub sprinkled on it and a quick mop of your favorite bbq sauce. Insane

I'm going to have to try that, except I'm going to use a sweet and spicy rub that I make.

 

[sheepdad]

Sounds good, just make a little more than you think you'll need because you'll be pickin' right off the grate.

 

[Ben]

One thing we started doing was to cook the thick cut bacon outside on the grill in the iron skillet. It really helps with the grease splatter and it tastes fantastic! You need a grill with a burner on the side for best results though.

 

[BBQueen]

I cook it on my electric griddle when I make bacon. I do have a splatter guard but if you cook it on a lower temperature for longer, it doesn't splatter as much. I have made it in the microwave and it's passable, but not he best.

 

[Hilt]

You bet those are fighting words. I can not stand floppy bacon, something seems really wrong about it. Floppy ham, yes but when it is bacon it seems like it is pure blasphemy. Do not come at me with floppy bacon, I will smack you with a spatula.

 

[grillqueen79]

We tried the thick cut bacon from the butcher's counter on the smoker and I thought there was going to be a fight...really good stuff so if you haven't tried it do!