How To Cook Bacon Perfectly

What Is The Easiest Way To Cook Bacon?

Bacon can come from different animals like turkey, cow, pork or even lamb and duck. It can be smoked or not. The most popular pork bacon cuts come from the loin, belly or even the cheek.

Pan frying is the fastest as you don’t have to heat the oven up, however cleaning the splatters of bacon fat, and the fact you need to remain on station cooking the bacon in the pan, limits your ability to attend to the cooking of other items like mushrooms, eggs, tomatoes or pancakes.

The bacon I used in the video is Grassy Knoll Streaky Bacon, which is free range, nitrate and sulphate free, and well-priced at NZ$6.95 for 300g. Available in NZ only here.

Allow bacon to reach room temperature before starting to cook it (as opposed to bacon straight from the fridge). Why? Because fat retains its coldness longer than meat so by allowing the bacon to reach room temperature, you will find the fat renders out much better during the cooking process, resulting in more even cooking.

I roll the bacon off so it doesn’t stretch.

Cooking streaky pork bacon in a FRYING PAN:

• Cut the rashers in half, because if you overload the pan with long pieces you won’t get as much in the pan, and the bacon won’t cook as well.

• Lightly oil the pan with olive oil. Why? More even cooking.

• Lay rashers, not quite touching, in a COLD pan—this will assist in rendering more fat out of your bacon.

• HEAT ON MEDIUM.

• For thin-cut bacon, allow about 15 minutes cooking time, turning and moving around the pan often.

• Once desired doneness is achieved, use kitchen tongs to remove bacon from pan and transfer onto paper towels before serving.

Note: Use the fat that’s left in the pan next time you’re roasting potatoes—delicious!

You can purchase the cast-iron pan I have used in the video here.

The easiest method is cooking in the OVEN:

• Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F).

• Place rashers in a single layer, not quite touching, on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

• Cook in oven for around 20 minutes for thin-cut bacon (like I’ve used) or 25–30 minutes for thick-cut.

• Once desired doneness is achieved, remove from oven then transfer bacon onto paper towels before serving.

Note: If you use a wire rack, your bacon will not be as crispy because it’s not cooking in its own fat.

I’m not keen on cooking bacon in the microwave, but for the record:

• Sandwich bacon between paper towels, which will help soak up any fat and steam.

• Cook 4–6 minutes on high.