THE RELUCTANT GOURMET COOKING COMMUNITY

[Reluctant Gourmet]

Try to cook bacon starting in a cold pan. If you use a hot pan, the bacon will burn and not render the fat like it will in pan that comes to temperature with the bacon.

[chefbear]

Funny, I always did it that way, but never really thought about it. I wouldn't put any other meat except bacon in a cold pan.

[LADawg]

CB, bacon is probably the only meat that you cook without any kind of oil or at least a spray in the skillet. I’ve been trying to think of one, but so far no luck.

[Dilbert]

duck & patty or loose sausage is about the only other thing I do in a dry pan.

bacon does stand alone as best I can figure for starting in a cold pan, tho....

[LADawg]

Never cooked any duck, but you are right, I do cook sausage in a dry skillet. Most of the time when I sauté ground beef I also do it dry. Would do a hamburger patty that way if I don’t do it on a charcoal grill.

[CheeseGr8er]

Just a side note about cooking bacon- on another forum someone gave me the idea of saving the leftover grease and putting it in the fridge to use for cooking other things. So far, I have only thrown some in with my eggs but they came out awesome! Not the healthiest thing in the world, but very good anyway

[Reluctant Gourmet]

I save the leftover fat from cooking bacon in a jar in the refrigerator and use it lots of uses including warm salad dressing, sauteing vegetables, frying potatoes. I don't use it often but it is a real treat and adds tons of flavor to anything you saute.

I remember as a kid my mom kept a can under the sink for bacon fat. She didn't reuse it for cooking but after she filled the can and let it solidify, she would throw it out. One day she went under the sink for something and there was a field mouse stuck in the fat. I don't think I ever heard her scream so loud. That was the end of storing bacon fat under the sink.

[kell]

Cabbage with caraway seeds sauteed in bacon fat til wilted.

[CheeseGr8er]

hahaha my mom did the same thing. An old coffee can filled with any grease from cooking. No mice for her though thank goodness! ha

[Victor]

[tullius]

I always cook bacon in the oven. It comes out flat, renders its fat, doesn't splatter & you don't have to keep watching & turning it. A chef friend told me this is how restaurants do it.

Lay in single layer in baking dish. I use a pyrex cake pan. Bake at 400 for 10 min. ( a little less if you don't want it crispy) I don't bother to preheat & just bake a little longer. Usually I don't even turn it.

As for using bacon fat, I also use it sparingly to fry cabbage & potatoes in. Or saute the vegs for soups. A few times wickedly used it in runza dough.

[castle]

Slow down rising temperature. I did it. But this way is good choice.

[Onei]

Baking in the oven sounds like a good idea. I must have been cooking the stuff for 20 years now and never thought of doing it this way. I also quite like grilled bacon, a bit messy but worth it!

[Dilbert]

I've done it in the oven - baking / roasting / [whatever]

frankly - although bacon is good fixed pretty much in any manner - I think the fried in the pan tastes better - it does have a different taste - I've "proven" that with a blind taste test.

there's gadgets for the microwave (not tried) - the mirowave paper towel method (I use that occasionally) - but the cast iron pan rules!

[tullius]

I mostly notice a difference in texture. I have done it in the oven with cast iron & it came out more like on the stovetop. Unfortunately my largest skillet is a 10" & only holds 4 pieces. Someday I'm going to get a bigger CI before I get too old to lift it.

I'm intrigued by the grilling idea. I love bacon wrapped mushrooms on the grill & every time we camp I threaten to thread bacon on a metal skewer but haven't tried it yet. Any tips Onei? I don't want to burn down the National Forest!