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GaryProtein
Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 535
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:44 am Post subject: Re: local source for good bacon |
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BeerMan wrote: | My local Whole Foods Supermarket has the best readily available bacon that I have found. It is thick cut, smoked nicely, not too fatty, and supposedly nitrate free (or at least ADDED nitrate free.) It does have a rather short shelf life, so don't buy too much unless you plan on cooking it soon thereafter. I guess you could try freezing it but I prefer to have it as fresh as possible. The meat cutter/butcher usually has some in the case, but the Whole Foods gourmet thick cut pre-packed is just as good. |
I agree their bacon, especially when purchased as a slab is excellent. If you are in New York, try slab bacon at Zabar's and Citarella. |
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Mister Paul Guest
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:41 am Post subject: Multi-Tecnique Compromise in cooking bacon |
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I like to make a compromise between the variable quality and speed differentials of the different techniques discussed regarding the preparation of bacon, and I have found that microwaving the bacon for 2/3rds the cooking time (depending on the amount of bacon), then transferring the heated bacon to a pan for 1/3rd of the time searing in a pan on high heat gives you the pan fried texture, with the speed and consistency of the microwave.
All in all it takes about 5 to 10 minutes off of the conventional time it takes just cooking in the pan, which can be important when you are preparing complimentary dishes that take less time to cook. |
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Guest
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Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 2:40 am Post subject: skillet on the grill |
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My favorite method uses a gas grill AND a cast iron skillet. Fill a cold skillet, even the sides of the pan, with bacon. Place the pan on a cold gas grill and set the heat to medium high. The fat will render during the warm up period, fry when the fat is rendered and bake when the grill is hot enough. It takes about 15 minutes. |
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ZeptoGator
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 1
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 8:05 pm Post subject: Bacon |
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Mmmmmm...bacon |
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Guest
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Posted: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm Post subject: American Style Bacon |
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I always thought that american style bacon came from the long winters in the midwest. In the past there wasn't grocery stores like we think of them now, the nearest town might be 5 hours away by horse, and there was no such thing as vegetable oils. The only sources of cooking fat came from either animal fat or butter, and cows would stop giving milk in the winter. On my grandparents farm they would render fat into lard, and they salted and smoked bacon so it would last through the winter. The bacon dripping were poured off into a small covered crock and used in place of butter through the winter (I still have the crock!). I think that this cut of meat was chosen on purpose to make bacon with because it was so fatty, and the thin slices come from having to ration it out to last through the winter. The lard didn't have a strong taste and was used to make breads, pies, cakes, etc. |
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Guest
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 8:01 pm Post subject: American Bacon |
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My father tells me that when he was growing up (in 1030's Missouri) bacon was pretty much all fat and little or no meat. It was an inexpensive source of grease and flavor. Hogs were raised differently depending on whether they were to be 'lard hogs' or 'meat hogs'. Now bacon and pork is much leaner. Sausage is still often half fat, so I usually make my own from pork butt. I bought some name brand ground pork that was so lean, I had to add some fat to make sausage. |
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grayparrot Guest
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Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: cooking bacon |
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I'm a mechanical engineer too guys, and this girl cooks her strips of bacon laid out on cold cast iron pans placed inside a preheated 350 deg. F gas oven for 7 to 9 minutes. No turning necessary and the strips cook up crispy yet remain straight averaging nine inches long. Forget aluminum cookie sheets for the bacon will cook unevenly. Sometimes the old fashioned ways are THE BEST. And BTW I went through the BIG Dig tunnels three times 7-10-2006 in the afternoon. WTF were those idiot engineers thinking about suspending a 3 ton 25' x 45' concrete panel from epoxied bolts????? I'd rather see the I beams above me than have 6000 pounds fall down and crush me. Truly a dumb design. |
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pj Guest
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 1:06 am Post subject: cooking bacon |
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I'm about to cook a large amount of cheap supermarket bacon and was looking for some tips. I harvested all I needed from this fine site. But I did want to add one tip about cheap supermarket bacon. Let it get to room temperature before frying or baking! It will lay flat and cook more evenly! |
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Guest
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:45 am Post subject: bacon |
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best bacon is deep fried! |
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Frugal, not by choice! Guest
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:17 am Post subject: thin, cheap bacon.... |
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It is horrible to have to buy the thin supermarket bacon, but sometimes you just have to. I have found if you lightlly flour it before pan frying in a cast iron skillet it seems to plump it up a bit and helps with the shrinkage. You can still use the drippings for cream gravy... yum! |
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Guest Guest
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Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:31 am Post subject: |
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Gross. Why would I want bacon made on some hick's nasty ass farm? So I can catch some sort of disease? And why would I want to eat anything from a hogs' "jowl" or whatever?
I'll stick to buying packaged bacon from Safeway or Kroger's, thanks.
Seriously, are you all like 80 years old and grew up on farms milking your cows and eating unprocessed chicken eggs or what? Between this and homemade mayo with raw eggs, you all must have a death wish. |
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bamsejente Guest
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:02 am Post subject: bacon in a crock pot |
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I have actually put bacon ends and pieces in the crock pot and let it render and crisp. I can buy ends and pieces in bulk at a rather good price. You end up with some very tender thick meat pieces and some crisp pieces and some melt in your mouth fat pieces. It is great to sort and store in the freezer for later uses: baked beans, salads, bacon gravy w/ crumbles over cornbread, bacon and green beans, eggs or omelets, etc. I also collect the rendered fat and use that for cooking other items. There is no spatter and clean up is just as simple as other crock pot cooking. |
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Seattle guest Guest
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:27 am Post subject: baking bacon |
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I took the advice of the resident chef at my favorite super market and bake my thick slice bacon for about 30 minutes at 350 in an aluminum baking pan with an edge. Works VERY nicely and the grease is all contained in the pan.
The cast iron idea intrigues me. I will have to try that method some time. |
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Grendel Guest
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:16 am Post subject: Cooked bacon freezes |
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Great site! I love the format of the recipes, and the attitude to testing.
I buy bulk whole bacon when it's cheaper here (Australia) and trim it, separating the eyes, which don't need much cooking, from the rest. The eyes I use immediately for recipes I don't want fatty bits in, or fry it lightly, then freeze, because cooked bacon freezes well, where raw bacon doesn't. The streaky bits I oven cook spread on trays because you can do a lot at a time and it doesn't need much attention. I then freeze that in ziplock bags and when I want a quick bacon sandwich or something a couple of rashers microwave very efficiently in 10 - 20 seconds and go extra crisp. |
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jkarle1106
Joined: 10 Jul 2007 Posts: 16 Location: DeBary, Florida, USA
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:42 pm Post subject: BaconII |
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I live in central FL, and wild hogs are a common thing here. They are a cross between feral pigs and Russian boars. And they make great bacon. Not as much fat on a wild boar as on a domestic pig. Now, I make mine from the jowl, as it's more meaty than the belly. This is also true of domestic pigs. The microwave works best for me, being lazy and impatient, lololol. |
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