TravelTalkOnline Forums People Talk Recipes bacon..

OK, here come some of my standard stupid questions--
1) How do you guys cook it?? It's messy, it's stinky.. Some people cook it in the oven, I think?? I like my bacon CRISP.. (Eric says, 'burnt'...)
2) Once it's cooked, how long can you keep it in the fridge?? What about cooking strips and putting in the freezer? Or, of course, crumbles. I would think that would be easiest to freeze?
3) And, was having a hankering for spaghetti carbonara.. Have never cooked it myself. Anyone have a good, fairly easy recipe??

Carol, I always fry up the bacon. I have done that with one pound. Cooked it a little less than I like and then froze the cooked strips. Take whatever amount you want out of the freezer, place between two paper towels and microwave a minute or so.

I always cook the whole pound, fry it, use what I want and put the rest in the fridge. Just looking to see what other methods people use to cook it..

Fry it...
when I worked as a cook, we always half cooked it in the oven (actually the broiler), like 20#'s at a time...
then deep fried it the rest of the way, for individual portions... Heart Attack waiting to happen!
BUT, that was 35+ years ago...
we always fry the whole pound now (crispy), and use leftovers for BLT's the next day...

Carol, have you ever tried the precooked bacon? I think it's a Hormel product, and we have purchased it at Costco in a package equal to three pounds of uncooked bacon. You can keep it in the freezer and only take out and reheat as many slices as you need. You reheat it in the microwave, between paper towels, and it comes out delicious. We don't eat bacon often, so this works well for us.

It's about the only thing I cook in the microwave. Have one of those bacon trays and it works great. You get more fat out of the bacon and it lays flatter. Save that bacon grease for some great artery coating cookin'. The grease is great to fry eggs in, add to green beans for country style and makes a mean wilted lettuce salad or spinach dressing.

I use this site alot when looking for new recipes:
Allrecipes.com

I especially like to try to ones that are rated high with lots of good reviews.

I've tried it, yes, but it seems to never get really crisp, to me..

I had one of those, maybe 20 years ago, threw it away. Maybe I should go buy another one..

OK, looks like frying is pretty much it.....

You can also try a bacon press which helps keep the curlys to a minimum.

I agree... I get a lot of my basic recipes from there... but I usually make my own modifications...

How ever you prefer to cook your bacon... ONCE IT IS COOKED... Put it in a freezer zip lock bag and stick it in the freezer. Pull out what you need and microwave for about 20 seconds (depending on your microwave). Yummy!

You definitely need to cook it more than the package directions state.

Bake it.

Read these:

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=205

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=84

Thanks for the note! Interesting reading!

On week-ends at the cottage we always place the bacon on a cast iron grill and cook it on the barbeque. it is delicious and cooks as crisp as you would like it. Then we drain most of the grease off and fry the eggs on the same grill. At home, I usually cook the bacon on a flat electric grill or use a frying pan. Leftovers keep well in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave for a minute or so.

mmmmm, I love bacon! I prefer pepper bacon but also am a big fan of maple bacon. MJ cooks it on a flat pancake grill, but in limited portions. Simple reason, if you cook a pound I will eat what ever is not already consumed by MJ or others.

Now I am craving buttermilk pancakes with pepper bacon, served with a Bloody Mary of course.
T

I came up that way, cast iron bacon camping and then cooking the eggs in the grease. Still like it that way best.

p.s. My LDL cholesterol is 97

I never fry bacon anymore. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Put bacon on wire rack. Bake 425 for about 20 minutes- watch it as ovens and tastes are different.

yum, bacon, my favorite food group. I fry it for breakfast 3 to 4 times a week. Bacon and eggs with biscuits, toast, waffles, or pancakes. Always cook my eggs in bacon grease, doesn't everyone??? In the fall I start saving the bacon grease to make nuts and bolts with at Christmas time.

Niman Ranch or whatever bacon it is they sell at The Fresh Markets meat counter is the BEST!!!

Susan

Just cook those eggs in the bacon grease. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

You gotta love everything at the Fresh Market!

Do you substitute bacon grease for the butter in your nuts and bolts?

I love to baste eggs in the bacon grease, sunny side up...
so the whites are cooked, but the yolks still runny, and place on a slice of toasted, buttered Pepperidge Farm White Bread!
Not quite so heart healthy, but OH SO GOOD!
It's a twice a year treat... it's always been a family tradition on Christmas Morning!

[/quote]

It's a twice a year treat... it's always been a family tradition on Christmas Morning! [/quote]

You have Christmas twice a year <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

My grandmother made eggs in bacon grease every morning, she lived to be 96 and my grandfather was 98!

Doesn't everyone??? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />
actually, that's our tradition, and I might make it once again a year, on no specific date...

Weave your bacon and bake it.

Here is the weave: http://thebenjamin.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/the-art-of-bacon-weaving/

use both, I'd have to go find my recipe for exact measurements. One thing I have noticed is over the years the bacon flavor has been greatly reduce, guess their not making bacon like they used too.

Susan