Making Bacon

My son chastised me when he saw me taking pictures of my bacon this morning.  "You're going to blog about cooking bacon?"  Well, no, I always take pictures of my bacon, I thought to myself.  "Yes," is what I said to him.  You see, making bacon isn't as easy as some people think.  Have you ever had a piece of bacon brought to you that was flaccid and still pink?  Unappetizing, in my opinion.  Or the bacon that is just this side of being cremated?  I like well-done bacon, but that's not it.  So, let's go through the basics, and you'll have perfectly cooked bacon every time.

I use a griddle that fits over tow burners of my stove.  If you don't have one, a cast iron or other heavy skillet will do.  Lay out the bacon on the COLD skillet.  It's important to have the skillet be cold so that it heats up with the bacon. This is what keeps the bacon in a straight strip instead of being all curled up.  The curling is the result of too much heat, too fast.

Turn your burner to medium low, allowing the bacon to gently cook.  It will begin to sizzle, and also shrivel, as it cooks.  Resist the urge to turn it!  When the bacon is ready to be turned, it will release itself from the pan. I use bamboo tongs, and I just turn it over, rearranging if necessary to avoid hot spots your stove might have.

Continue to cook the bacon on this side until it releases all that bacony goodness (aka rendering it's fat).  The bacon should hold it's shape when you pick it up with the tongs.  If you like it crisper, let it on the burner a few minutes longer, until it's completely stiff.  Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to allow the excess grease to drain off.

Now your bacon is ready for hamburgers, eggs, club sandwiches.  The possibilities are endless!  When the pan cools pour the bacon juice (yes, that's what I said. Juice.) into a small container to be used for future flavoring of potatoes, soups, etc.  There's always some in my fridge!
Enjoy!