Baking Bacon

What’s better than bacon?

Have you ever baked bacon? Baking bacon. Say that five times fast. How does crispy, simple, delicious and perfect bacon sound???

If you haven’t had baked bacon you do not know what you are missing! Now, I know how I feel about grease splatter all over my stovetop and I don’t like it one bit. This recipe is super simple, fast and allows you to cook bacon perfectly and clean up is pretty easy too!

Gross bacon vs. delicious bacon

I’m a picky eater and I hate the jiggly, chewy, and fatty part of bacon. When I would get a sandwich that had bacon on it it was always really chewy and undercooked texture and I would throw it away or pick at it and eat the “done” parts.  I seldom made bacon for breakfast (before cooking our own bacon) because it was always a chore and grease would splatter everywhere too. It took me 28 years but I finally discovered the secret to cooking baking. (And no, it’s not a microwave. I see that microwavable bacon at the store and I’m not sure how anyone finds that appetizing. The picture on the box does not appeal to me and screams chewy.)

Baking is the key!

It is hard to mess up bacon in the oven. Disclaimer* It can still get burnt, trust me I know.

Fat is flavor.

I like a good amount of fat on bacon but I don’t enjoy gross chewy fat. Fat is the source of flavor in the meat. It absorbs and stores many of the aromatic compounds in the animal’s food. I want a crispy fat that caramelizes when cooked. The caramelization that occurs when cooking bacon or any meat is called the Maillard reaction. Denatured proteins on the surface of the meat recombine with the sugars present and create the flavor and change the color. For this reason, it is also called the browning reaction. Bet you weren’t expecting a chemistry lesson. But, I had to share I was watching some food competition show on BBC and they talked about this and I think it is interesting. Science is cool. Does that make me a nerd? Who cares, I’m pretty sure being a nerd is hip these days. Does anyone say “hip” anymore?

Let food be your medicine!

Our hogs are raised in the woods mainly and pasture secondly meaning they get to move a ton! This creates a very lean bacon with very healthy fat. This healthy fat we believe is higher in Omega-3’s. This means when you eat our pork (or chicken) you are supplying your body with good fats that your body needs to thrive!

Here is how I bake it:

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and line up your bacon on a baking sheet not touching. (For easier cleanup use parchment paper. ) Cook approx.10-20 minutes depending on your oven. My ovens sweet spot for a perfect crisp and caramelization is 17 minutes. Ovens will vary so make sure to always follow USDA guidelines when cooking meat. Also, note that I said cleanup was easier… It is still bacon so there is going to be the residual grease that you will want to either save in a jar and use in baking later or clean up and discard after it cools. Look how yummy this looks!

I was a rebel and did not to use parchment paper..mainly because I ran out. But, bacon from our farm does not stick to your baking sheet like grocery store style bacon. Bacon from our farm is lean and contains no artificial additives, therefore, it does not have the “stick to the sheet” issue because of all the good melty fat.

Naked Bacon

This bacon is fresh-side meaning there are absolutely no additives, seasonings, or anything. Naked bacon is my personal favorite. Although, on occasion, I like to sprinkle some brown sugar while it is warm and fresh out of the oven. That creates, even more, carmelizing goodness! Makes my mouth water! YUM!

What is your preferred method of cooking bacon?

Make sure to always set a timer when baking bacon. I’ve ruined too many slices of bacon by getting distracted. Nothing hurts the soul more than burning bacon.