Email to becky sims      

Recipe Categories: becky's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS BakeSale BARS BBQ Beef beef BEVERAGES BREAD BreadMachine BREAKFAST BROTH CAKESandPIES CakesPiesMuffinsCupcakes Camping CANDY CASSEROLES CastIronCooking Chili COOKIES CookingwithCandyBars CookingwithKids CookingwithSoup CopyCat CountryKnowledge CountryWordMeanings CROCKPOT DeepFry Dehydrate Dessert-Frozen DESSERTS Diabetic DIABETIC Dips DRESSINGS DRYRUBS ETHNIC FathersDay FISHandSEAFOOD ForCodyKatelyn FourthofJuly FROSTINGS FRUIT Fruit gamedaysnacks GiftsinaJar Glaze GRAVIES GRILLING GROUNDBEEF Halloween HASHBROWNS HelpfulHints HillbillyCookin HillbillySayingsStories Holiday ICECREAM Leftovers LowFat LOWFAT MARINADES MEATS MemorialDayGrilling MICROWAVE Miscellaneous MothersDay OLDFASHION OldFashionRemedies OldTimeCooking OldWives39Tales OneDishRecipes PASTA PIZZA PORK POTATOES POULTRY PRESSURECOOKER Puddings PUNCH QuickandEasy recipecircuschef39srecipes RICE Rotisserie SALADandDRESSING SALADS SANDWICHES SAUCES Seasoning SIDEDISH SIDE_DISH SNACKS SopsandMops SOUPSandSTEWS Spices SpreadsSyrup Top10of2007 Top10of2008 Top10of2009 Top10recipesof2011 TopTenPecanDesserts Turkey Valentine39sDay VEGETABLES WILDGAME

Bacon




Source of Recipe


cooking village


Recipe Link: http://cookingvillage.com


I’ve long said that if I were about to be executed and were given a choice of my last meal, it would be bacon and eggs. . . . Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying in the morning, save perhaps the smell of coffee brewing.
—James Beard, American cookbook author

TIDBIT In the United States, bacon is cured, smoked side pork (the pig’s side). The ideal ratio of fat to lean is one-half to two-thirds.

PURCHASING
• Choose firm, well-colored bacon with no sign of sliminess. Check the date stamp (reflecting the last date of sale) on packages of vacuum-packed bacon to make sure it’s fresh.

• Slab bacon, generally cheaper than presliced bacon, is typically sold with the rind, which should be removed before slicing.

• Bacon bits are preserved, dried, precooked pieces of real bacon that must be refrigerated. Bacon-flavored bits are an imitation-flavored, vegetable-based product that can be stored at room temperature. Be particularly careful when using the imitation bits in recipes—their strong, ersatz flavor can ruin a dish.

EQUIVALENTS
• Raw: 1 pound = 18 to 22 regular slices, 20 thin, 10 to 14 thick
• Cooked: 1 pound = 1 1/2 cups crumbled; 1 slice = 1 tablespoon crumbled

STORING
• Sliced bacon: Refrigerate an unopened package for no longer than a week past the date stamp. Once opened, tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months.

• Slab bacon: Tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks; freeze for 3 months.

• Cooked bacon: Wrap airtight and refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 6 weeks. Cushion layers of bacon strips with paper towels.

PREPARING
• To facilitate separating the bacon slices, roll the package into a tube and secure it with a rubber band before refrigerating.

• Or separate a pound of bacon into individual portions, wrapping each serving in plastic wrap. Freeze the single-serving packets in a plastic bag; defrost and use as you need them.

• Slices are easier to separate if you remove the bacon from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

• Microwaving a package of bacon on high for 30 seconds will also loosen the slices.

• Separate cold bacon by using the dull edge of a dinner knife.

• Semifrozen bacon is easier to dice than refrigerated bacon.

• To reduce excess curling, prick the bacon with a fork before cooking.

COOKING
• The thinner the bacon, the crisper it becomes when cooked.

• Defrost frozen bacon in the refrigerator overnight to prevent excessive spattering and shrinkage during cooking.

• Or defrost in the microwave oven, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or simply unwrap the bacon and cook on high for 15 to 30 seconds, depending on the amount.

• To minimize shrinkage, start the bacon in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat.

• To reduce spatters and produce crisper fried bacon, pour off the fat as the bacon cooks.

• To bake: This easy method creates flat strips. Place bacon rashers in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until done to your preference. There’s no need to turn baked bacon. Thoroughly blot the bacon on paper towels before serving.

• To microwave: Line a microwave-safe rack or paper plate with a double layer of microwavable paper towel. Place bacon strips side by side on the rack or plate and cover with another sheet of paper towel. Six slices cooked on high will take 5 to 6 minutes. You can add a second and third layer of bacon strips crosswise to each other and the first layer. Put a double thickness of paper towels between the bacon layers. Cover the top layer with a paper towel to keep your oven from getting spattered.

• Make cracklings by dicing and frying the rind of slab bacon.

• Use a bulb baster to remove excess fat from the pan while bacon cooks.

• To recrisp bacon: In a skillet over medium-high heat, or in a 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or in a microwave oven on high for 60 to 90 seconds.

USING
• Use crisp, crumbled bacon to garnish salads, deviled eggs, baked potatoes or other vegetables.

• Add crumbled bacon to casseroles and stir-fry dishes, and to muffin, drop-biscuit or cornbread batter.

• Bacon grease adds wonderful flavor to myriad foods. Many cooks—particularly in the South—use it in cornbreads, to fry foods like hush puppies and catfish, as a flavoring for vegetables, and so on.

• To reuse bacon drippings, pour through a fine sieve into a container with a tight lid. Refrigerate or freeze to be used as desired.

• Never pour bacon grease down the drain (unless you want a visit from your plumber). If you don’t plan to use it, pour the grease into a can, refrigerate until solid, then toss into the trash.