Cooking bacon in the frying pan often results in a mess as the oil flies about everywhere, just like when frying eggs.
However, there’s no denying that frying bacon gives perfect crispy bacon, but there is another method that offers the same results and doesn’t compromise on flavour.
Frank Proto, professional chef and culinary instructor took to the YouTube channel Epicurious to share his top tips in a video titled “the best beacon you’ll ever make”.
Frank was “going over the typical [method of] frying bacon, as well as some unconventional techniques” like oven baking and using the microwave.
The chef showed viewers how they can get “super crispy” bacon in the microwave.
He said: “As a chef, I have zero problems with the microwave, it’s a great tool. If you need to get your bacon cooked in minutes, and you only need two or three slices, the microwave is the way to go.”
Frank also said this method requires minimal clean-up. All you need is a few paper towels and a microwave-safe plate.
Take the bacon rashers and place them on the paper towel on the plate. Cover it with two or three more sheets of paper towel to “soak up the excess fat” and “help steam” the bacon.
Put the plate in the microwave on high for four to six minutes. After five minutes, Frank checked the bacon and it was “super crispy and delicious”.
For those looking to cook a lot of bacon, Frank noted that they may want to use the baking method.
With this method, the chef said: “You can cook bulk amounts of bacon, with less space, there’s no tending to the bacon, it also cooks the bacon more evenly without splatters in your kitchen, and the results are superior in every way.”
To do so, you need a sheet or baking tray and line it with a sheet of parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, use a wire rack, but Frank doesn’t like using a rack because he said he’s “lazy and doesn’t want to clean it”.
He also said cooking bacon on parchment paper means the bacon “cooks in its own fat”. He notes he does “drain all the fat off” after cooking, so don’t worry about there being too much fat.
First, take the rashers of bacon, and lie them “side by side”. The chef said the “yield on the bacon is better” when baking in the oven as you “don’t get as much shrinkage”.
Once all the bacon is lined up, put it into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
After the time is up, drain the bacon on a baking tray lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
“For me, this is the perfect texture,” Frank admitted. “A little crunchy, a little chewy. The bacon is evenly baked, a little crispy on the outside.”
